Celtic produced a first-half masterclass, netting four goals in just 12 electrifying minutes to dismantle St Johnstone and secure a Scottish Cup final clash with Aberdeen, keeping their dream of a record-extending ninth domestic treble well on track.
Brendan Rodgers extended his own unbeaten run at Hampden to 14 matches and will return to the national stadium on Saturday, 24 May—live on BBC—as his side chases a third straight Scottish Cup triumph.
By half-time, Celtic fans could already pencil in the final date.
Their team had effectively sealed the win with a blistering end to the opening 45 minutes.
Celtic had St Johnstone penned into their own third from the opening whistle and eventually broke through with a pinpoint finish from captain Callum McGregor.
That opened the floodgates.
McGregor turned provider moments later, threading a brilliant ball through to Daizen Maeda.
A mistimed interception by Sam Curtis allowed the Japanese forward to slip in Celtic’s second.
Adam Idah added a third with a simple tap-in just before the break, and Maeda struck again only 90 seconds later, capping off a relentless press to notch his 33rd goal of the season.
It was a devastating spell that left St Johnstone shell-shocked, having gone from hopeful to hopeless in a matter of minutes.
Despite their recent league win over Celtic, Simo Valakari’s men were powerless this time. And the punishment didn’t stop at the interval.
Rodgers added fresh firepower in the second half with substitutes Nicolas Kuhn and Jota.
The latter squeezed in a fifth goal from a tight angle shortly after a penalty decision for James Forrest was overturned by VAR.
VAR was involved again when Mackenzie Kirk’s spectacular goal—what would have been a consolation at 4-0—was ruled out, summing up a day where nothing went St Johnstone’s way.
Treble Dream Alive for Dominant Celtic
Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston had described their recent loss to St Johnstone as a necessary wake-up call.
Judging by this response, they certainly got the message.
In this kind of mood, Celtic are a domestic force few can even compete with.
The pace, precision, and intensity of their play were exceptional.
Maeda and Forrest wreaked havoc on the wings, while the midfield enjoyed acres of space to dictate play. Rodgers’ ability to bring on talents like Kuhn, Jota, Luke McCowan, and Paulo Bernardo with the game already wrapped up is a luxury most clubs can only dream of.
Rodgers’ Hampden record was never under threat, and if Celtic bring this level of performance to the final against Aberdeen, it’s hard to see that changing.
Another domestic treble feels inevitable—possibly just 90 minutes away—with Celtic making it all look frighteningly easy.
St Johnstone Left Reeling
Since their shock league win earlier this month, there were concerns St Johnstone might have provoked a reaction from Celtic—and they certainly did.
Valakari’s side were overwhelmed and outclassed from start to finish.
They barely saw the ball and were punished for every lapse, whether in transition or trying to play out from the back.
While they’ll look back at moments they could’ve done better—like cutting out the second goal or handling the press more effectively—they were simply overrun.
Conceding five was bad enough, but it could’ve been worse.
Now, with five crucial Premiership games left to secure survival, St Johnstone must regroup quickly after this chastening semi-final.
What they said
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "I'm very impressed. Once we got the opening goal, we go on and produce a brilliant performance.
"Today was about getting into the final and the players did that with a great performance. Our concentration level was very high, scored five and could have had one or two others.
"Five league games [left] and we want to finish as well as we can. It's been a long season, the players have put in so much work - it's been phenomenal."
St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "That's what Celtic can do to any team; they are relentless. No excuses, we didn't do enough good things to get anything.
"We can't give silly goals away, because we don't have the time or points to do it. That's what we are working on.
"I'm proud of my players, of course it wasn't what we wanted but that was our 2025 cup journey."