Brendan Rodgers has an opportunity to win his first silverware as Celtic manager today when the Bhoys take on Aberdeen at Hampden.
Celtic are undefeated domestically this season and have won every game but one, a draw away at Inverness CT.
Now that the team are out of Europe the word on every Celtic fan’s mind is ‘treble’ – the fabled clean sweep of the domestic trophies that hasn’t been achieved at Celtic Park since the days of Martin O’Neill.
It’s a tall order and the first step is a tough one. The Dons have been the closest challengers to Celtic in Scotland over the last few years and will be hoping to show that, on their day, they are more than a match for the Scottish champions.
After playing a high tempo match on Wednesday against world class opposition, Sunday will be tough mentally and physically for Rodgers’ men.
Here is the Celtic XI that we believe can win the League Cup on Sunday…
GK: Craig Gordon
Despite conceding two goals on Wednesday night, Craig Gordon made one of the best saves of his career in the first half to prevent Luis Suarez from tucking away a header.
He’s shown time and again why he’s the No.1 at Celtic and nothing has changed in that regard ahead of Sunday. He’s the man to beat.
RB: Mikael Lustig
Mikael Lustig is unshakable in the right-back position right now for Celtic. Despite the arrival of Cristian Gamboa in the summer, Lustig has never looked likely to be replaced.
The Swedish international will make his 160th appearance for the Bhoys if selected, a total that reflects his stature at the club. His team-mates like him, the manager likes him and the fans like him.
CB: Erik Sviatchenko
In this competition’s semi-final last month, Sviatchenko had his header in the back of the net. It was disallowed due to pushing which replays showed was mighty harsh.
The big Dane is a big game player and fresh off potentially the toughest match of his career on Wednesday, will be eager to show he can maintain those performance levels.
CB: Jozo Simunovic
We reckoned Kolo Toure would have started Wednesday night’s game but Jozo Simunovic came in and played superbly. Celtic’s defence was only really cut apart once, when Lionel Messi rifled past Gordon for the opener.
The Croatian was key to that with commitment and strong tackling.
If he plays then it will be his 10th appearance of the season as he slowly ramps up to playing every game of Celtic’s heavy schedule after a long injury layoff.
LB: Emilio Izaguirre
As we reported earlier today, Emilio Izaguirre is subject to transfer speculation with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.
With Kieran Tierney’s injury keeping him out for the foreseeable future, Izaguirre is really the only option at left-back.
That’s OK, though, because the Honduran has been in decent form recently, even if he’s not reaching the standard set by Tierney.
His pace will help keep the Dons’ attack at bay but it’s possible that his ability to get forward and link with the likes of Forrest and Roberts that will be his biggest contribution to the final.
CM: Scott Brown
There’s often no bigger performer for Celtic than Scott Brown. Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair may steal the headlines but it’s Brown who keeps the Bhoys ticking.
His performance against Barcelona on Wednesday night was exceptional, as he covered every blade of grass and let the visitors know they were in a tough game.
He will relish the final and if he lifts the trophy it will be his ELEVENTH major honour as a Celtic player.
CM: Stuart Armstrong
Stuart Armstrong continues to be the best option alongside Scott Brown in the heart of the Celtic midfield.
Both Callum McGregor and Nir Bitton were unconvincing on Wednesday night. Armstrong didn’t have his best game in Celtic colours either but at least had flashes of battling midfield play.
Aberdeen are going to bring a physical game to Hampden and we don’t fancy the Bitton or McGregor to be equal to that task. Armstrong will get stuck in and has the ability to spring forward and get in behind defences.
RW: James Forrest
James Forrest came off the bench on Wednesday night and had a great impact on the game. It was his delightful chipped cross that set-up Dembele’s golden opportunity in the second half that on another night would have burst the net.
He’s earned his place in the final – he was the player who broke the deadlock late on against Alloa Athletic in the quarter-final, just when it looked like the Bhoys may suffer a calamitous upset, after all.
That was one of the five he’s scored this season and if he starts he’ll be one of the favourites with the bookies to get on the scoresheet.
CAM: Tom Rogic
Tom Rogic is enjoying life under Brendan Rodgers. Having to prove himself under previous management, Rogic has had the faith of Rodgers since the beginning.
That faith has resulted in the best form of his career – only Dembele, Sinclair and Griffiths have scored more than him in the team this season.
His trickery and ability to slice through the most compact of defences is a vital asset against defensive set-ups.
Physically he’s strong too and that’s what he’ll need to stand up to what will undoubtedly be a determined Aberdeen defence.
LW: Patrick Roberts
Patrick Roberts hasn’t quite hit the heights of the form he showed when he initially moved on loan from Manchester City in January. He has shown flashes of quality throughout the campaign but has mainly been utilised from the bench.
With a hamstring injury to Sinclair ruling him out of the final, Sunday is a massive chance for Roberts to impress his manager and his supporters in one of the biggest games since he arrived.
There’s no doubting he has ability, but at times his decision making can be poor, as he often opts to go it alone rather than find a team-mate.
If he features he’ll need to produce a more mature display and work with his fellow Bhoys against an Aberdeen side whose biggest strength is teamwork.
CF: Moussa Dembele
We’re running out of superlatives to describe Moussa Dembele. With 16 goals already this season he’s had one of the best starts to his Celtic career of any striker ever
He’s also scored in every round of the competition so far, netting vs. Motherwell, Alloa and Rangers – his flicked back-heel through two sets of legs in the semi-final only reaffirmed his popularity on the green side of Glasgow.
If he delivers cup success on Sunday against Aberdeen his stock only rises higher.