Celtic emerged victorious after enduring an enthralling penalty shootout against Aberdeen, thus securing a place in their 60th Scottish Cup final.
Aberdeen struck first, with Bojan Miovski capitalising on sluggish defending just two minutes into the game. The Dons held their own against Celtic in a surprise early lead. However, Celtic found a quick retort in Nicolas Kuhn, who levelled the game following an unfortunate blunder from Aberdeen's stand-in captain Angus MacDonald.
The second half saw an electrified Celtic side as substitute James Forrest curled a beautiful finish, attempting to secure Celtic's final spot. However, last-gasp heroics from Aberdeen's Ester Sokler forced the game into extra time, extending the drama.
Matt O'Riley, in a moment of sheer brilliance during extra time, took Celtic back into the lead with a well-composed goal. But, yet again, Aberdeen refused to yield, with MacDonald heading a late equaliser. The dramatic semi-final eventually boiled down to a penalty shootout.
Once more, Joe Hart, recently celebrating his 37th birthday and retiring at the end of this season, showed why he remains a critical part of Celtic's setup. Despite missing an initial chance to clinch the victory, Hart marvellously redeemed himself in denying Killian Phillips' effort, leading to jubilant Celtic celebrations.
Celtic's successful penalty shootout has set up a potential final clash against either Hearts or 'Rangers' on the 25th May, 2024. Although Aberdeen put on a commendable fight, it was the seasoned hands at Celtic that eventually stood out, managing to edge closer to a record 42nd Scottish Cup win.
