Celtic and Dunfermline are preparing to face off in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final, with both teams eager to crown their seasons with silverware.
Dunfermline, from the Championship, are looking to end a 58-year drought since their last Scottish Cup victory. They also aim to secure a fourth win against top-flight opposition under the guidance of their manager, Neil Lennon.
Celtic, meanwhile, are targeting an unlikely double after Martin O’Neill secured another Scottish Premiership title last weekend.
O’Neill and Lennon Face Off as Managers
The final sees a clash between Martin O’Neill and Neil Lennon. O’Neill signed Lennon for Leicester City and later brought him to Celtic in December 2000.
During his time as a player under O’Neill at Celtic, Lennon secured seven major honours. He later followed in O’Neill’s footsteps, becoming the manager in 2010 and winning 10 trophies across two spells. After lifting the Premiership trophy last weekend, O’Neill now has eight to his name.
Lennon has already demonstrated his managerial ability this season, but he must overcome his former mentor to make history with Dunfermline.
Celtic’s Journey to the Final
Celtic, who were beaten finalists last season, began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Auchinleck Talbot, with goals from Johnny Kenny and Sebastian Tounekti.
In the fifth round against Dundee, they were on the verge of elimination until Junior Adamu scored a 97th-minute equaliser on his debut, forcing extra time before Tounekti secured the win.
Celtic needed penalties to overcome Rangers at Ibrox in the quarter-final. Despite having only one shot in 120 minutes, O’Neill’s side won the shootout 4-2.
The semi-final against St Mirren also went to extra time after Mikael Mandron’s late equaliser made it 2-2. However, Celtic’s quality shone through as they scored four goals in six minutes.
Dunfermline’s Road to Hampden
Dunfermline started their cup run with a 2-1 victory over Queen of the South, with Chris Kane scoring twice.
They then achieved the first of three wins against top-flight teams, with an own goal from Hibernian’s Miguel Chaiwa proving decisive.
Kelty Hearts were defeated 2-0 in the fifth round, before Matty Todd’s early goal and a double from Olly Thomas secured a 3-0 victory over Aberdeen.
That booked their place at Hampden, where they beat Falkirk 4-2 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.
O’Neill’s Future Still Uncertain
Martin O’Neill has taken interim charge twice this season after the departures of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy. He remains coy about whether Saturday will be his final match in charge.
The Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Dunfermline Athletic will be broadcast live on BBC One Scotland and BBC iPlayer and live on BBC Sounds.