Celtic are back at Hampden this afternoon with Martin O’Neill naming his starting XI for the Scottish Cup Final against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline side.
The occasion feels far bigger than just another cup final after everything that has happened over the last few months. Celtic are chasing a domestic double only seven days after one of the wildest title wins in modern Scottish football, while Hampden now stages a meeting between two men whose careers have been tied together for more than 25 years.
That backdrop changes the mood completely around the game.
O’Neill returned to Celtic earlier this season initially as a temporary appointment after Brendan Rodgers resigned, then came back again following Wilfried Nancy’s collapse during the winter. Since then, Celtic have surged through the final weeks of the title race while uncertainty still hangs over who manages the club beyond today.
Dunfermline arrive believing they can make life miserable for Celtic.
Lennon has built a side that stays compact without the ball and competes physically through midfield areas. Their cup run has not happened by accident either. Dunfermline knocked out Premiership opposition repeatedly because they stay organised for long periods before attacking moments quickly through transitions and set plays.
Celtic know exactly what pressure feels like now after the Hearts game last weekend.
At one stage during that match, the title looked gone. Then Arne Engels scored from the penalty spot before Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand produced stoppage-time chaos that sparked a pitch invasion inside Celtic Park. Emotion carried Celtic over the line that afternoon but Hampden usually demands calmer decision-making.
That will matter against a low Dunfermline block.
Celtic need patience around the box while still moving the ball quickly enough to stop Lennon’s side settling into shape. Wide areas feel crucial because Maeda’s movement can drag defenders out of position while James Forrest still gives Celtic unpredictability in one-v-one situations.
Physical condition also becomes part of the conversation today.
The emotional toll from the title race has clearly drained parts of the squad and O’Neill must decide how much freshness he needs around midfield and wide areas. Cameron Carter-Vickers could return to the squad after months out injured, although Viljami Sinisalo is expected to continue in goal with Kasper Schmeichel still sidelined.
Set pieces could easily decide the final.
Dunfermline will likely target second balls aggressively around the Celtic box while Celtic themselves carry threat through Engels deliveries and Maeda attacking near-post areas. Callum McGregor controlling tempo also feels huge because Lennon’s side will try to turn the game scrappy whenever possible.
The emotional angle between the two managers adds something rare to the afternoon.
Lennon played under O’Neill at Leicester and Celtic before becoming a manager himself. Both spent the week praising each other publicly while also making clear sentiment disappears once the whistle starts. O’Neill even joked Lennon was “really angry” during sponsor photographs earlier this week before calling him “a very, very angry young man.”
Here is the Celtic starting XI to face Dunfermline:
Kick-off at Hampden is 3pm with live coverage on Premier Sports 2, and BBC One Scotland. Celtic supporters have already packed Glasgow city centre throughout the morning and the atmosphere around the national stadium feels closer to a European final than a domestic cup final.
