Aberdeen v Celtic – Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, and Betting Odds – Scottish FA Cup – 17 April 2011
Celtic are aiming for their 35th Scottish Football Association Cup as they face 7 time winner Aberdeen in the semifinals. The match will take place at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday, April 17, 2011. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:45 BST (UK time), 13:45 CET (Central Europe), and 07:45 EST (USA Eastern).
Aberden v Celtic TV Listings
It will be televised on Sky Sports 1 (UK), ONE Sport (Israel), and on Telekanal Futbol (Russia).
Aberdeen v Celtic Preview
Celtic manager Neil Lennon
“We know we’ve got a hard game in front of us,” Lennon said, “By all accounts Aberdeen played very well on Wednesday night.
“They’ll be very motivated themselves because there’s something to play for. We want the day out at the end of the season because this is a piece of silverware that means a lot to the club, and myself, and we would like to go forward in the competition.
“It’s a big day for Aberdeen in context of the future and how they go about their business for next season so it will mean a lot to them.
“It will mean a lot to Craig Brown and Archie Knox as well to put in a performance after the disappointment of the League Cup game so we expect all that to come and we’ll prepare as best we can for that.”
“Semi-finals are notoriously difficult, they are usually tight and tense but we played very well in the League Cup tie.
“To be 4-0 up at half-time was a huge bonus for us but we’re not expecting that to happen on Sunday.
“Every game is different and they all have their own merits. We will probably have to dig in at times and be mentally strong.”
“I want them to play well. But the pitch will be difficult to play on again and we know the surface isn’t great.
“We’ll go and watch the other semi-final tomorrow, though, see how the pitch holds up and pick a team according to that.”
Aberdeen manager Craig Brown
“Obviously it is a big game for Aberdeen, this season in particular. It has been a disappointing season otherwise. We have a great chance to redeem ourselves from the indifferent league results and please the fans.
“My concern is that the support gets something to be happy about this season and this is our biggest and best opportunity to do that. There is no question that the city is behind us still. We had a good support for the semi-final of the league Cup and it is building up for this one. The recent games here we have played I think, apart from the odd goal defeats, have been encouraging.
“So this is a big important fixture for Aberdeen.
“If you are in their dressing room you can hear what they are saying. Get an early goal against Aberdeen. Now they did that up here when we were down to 10 players but it took them until very near the end to consolidate that victory and I felt we coped fairly well. In fact in the three games we have played against Celtic we have had one very poor half hour and in the other games we have been well in the fixtures. We have proved we can compete and I am sure we will on Sunday.
“Obviously I am an optimist. We have nothing to lose. This is a particularly big game for us but it is an even bigger game for Celtic because if they slipped up in the league and if they don’t beat us and get to the cup final it could be a major disappointment for Celtic. They are under a little bit of pressure. They are expected to beat us and they are expected to get to the cup final. They are also at the top of the league and there will be a great expectation for them to win that. Now if they falter in both tournaments it would be a major disaster. It is not a disaster if we don’t get to the cup final. A disappointment for us but not a disaster.
“We have got one or two signs of encouragement with the injuries. Paul Hartley has done a couple of days training with the physios. He has not had a match which is obviously going to go against his selection or possibility of selection. Steven Smith got that calf injury and had to come off against Rangers. He didn’t train yesterday, he was still feeling it, and he has got two days of intensive treatment. I don’t think David McNamee has got a chance and of course the long term guys haven’t. We have got international players out. Rory is an international player who has got no chance with a shoulder in a sling and an operation required. David McNamee is not quite ready yet. Paul Hartley another international player out. It is not just any players that we have out. They are key players. Experienced international players.
“You don’t want to take a risk on him. We have got another five matches minimum after this one hopefully six. Now we don’t want to risk his health and I don’t think it would be fair to the player to do that. He is desperate to play but he has got enough experience to know when to not take an unnecessary risk. The final decision will be Paul’s in terms of fitness. It will be mine in terms of selection. We just have to look at the situation.
“They have got terrific options Celtic. I think more than any other team in the SPL. They are harder to predict because they have got so many good options.
“I think Celtic will know all about everyone. For example if you take Clark Robertson. If you pop him into the Aberdeen team the first thing Neil Lennon does is goes to his under 19s coach and ask who’s this boy. I do that with Neil Cooper. If we play an opposing team and there is a player that pops up I will say what has he been like against us, how does he play. They will know everything. Knowledge is power. The more you know about the opposition the more power you have. The more you know about your own team the more power you have. The problem for us is we don’t know sometimes what team is going to turn up.
“Our young players are bright and full of confidence. Of course they have got the enthusiasm of youth which I envy. I think I have got the enthusiasm of old age, or older age. Our colleague Alex Ferguson is the same and Walter Smith the other night was very enthusiastic when his team won the game here. So we have got a good balance of youth and experience here at Pittodrie.
“The first goal is very crucial in most games and it gives you something to hang on to. We saw that with Rangers during the week when they got a goal in 20 minutes and that gave them a lot to hang on to. They were hanging on at times.
“If we could get a goal it would boost the crowd and boost the team. You know how it feels when a goal gets scored against you how deflated you feel. A goal is a great delight to a group of footballers and an important goal is of even greater delight. So that is what we hope to get.
“We have got a determination and I think recent games have confirmed we have a belief that we are capable of going and causing an upset.
Squads
Aberdeen (from): Langfield, Diamond, Smith, Aluko, Considine, Vujadinovic, Milsom, Vernon, Blackman, Maguire, Magennis, Howard, Young, Pawlett, Jack, Paton, Anderson, Hartley
Celtic (from): Forster, Loovens, Cha, Mulgrew, Izaguirre, Ljungberg, Commons, Kayal, Ki, Ledley, Stokes, Hooper, Maloney, Forrest, Zaluska, Rogne, Wilson, Samaras, Brown
Competition Stats
| Aberdeen | Celtic | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Christopher Maguire 4 | Scott Brown 2 |
| Assists | Christopher Maguire 0 | Scott Brown 0 |
| Yellows | Christopher Maguire 1 | Scott Brown 2 |
| Reds | Fraser Forster 1 | |
Next Matches
| Aberdeen | Celtic | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/17 | Celtic | 4/17 | @Aberdeen |
Aberdeen v Celtic Prediction
Celtic wins 1-0
Aberdeen v Celtic Betting Odds
Aberdeen win – 13/2
Draw – 7/2
Celtic win – 1/3
