ABERDEEN 1 CELTIC 1
Aberdeen won 4-3 on penalties.
Scottish Cup Final
Saturday 24th May 2025
Hampden Park
Ref: Don Robertson
The history boys!
A performance that the rest of Scotland never saw coming, a display of guts, determination, quality and absolute belief won Aberdeen Football Club their first Scottish Cup in 35 years, the first one in the 21st century, the eighth time they have lifted the trophy, going fourth in the all-time record. Deserved, deserved, deserved.
For the Scottish Cup final, Jimmy Thelin made four changes from the side that played at Tannadice last weekend with Nicky Devlin, Jack Milne, Alfie Dorrington and Topi Keskinen coming into the starting XI. Kristers Tobers and Pape Gueye were on the bench with Jeppe Okkels and Jamie McGrath missing out. Fletcher Boyd was also among the substitutes. Skipper Graeme Shinnie made his 300thappearance for the Dons.
After their 1-1 draw with St Mirren on the final day of the league season, Celtic were unchanged for Hampden.
The rain was sweeping across the national stadium as the sides kicked off, the Dons setting up with a back three for the first time this season. Celtic had the bulk of the ball in the early exchanges, but the Dons were aggressive in their positioning and winning of the ball, leading to stalemate in the opening quarter of an hour.
Johnston bought himself a free-kick out on the right in the 16th minute, going down all to easily from a Mats Knoester challenge, but the set play came to nothing, nor did a corner three minutes later.
Another Celtic corner on 27 was punched clear by Dimitar Mitov, Dorrington clearing his lines as the ball was pumped back in. Celtic’s first real strike of note came a minute later, Taylor fizzing a drive over the bar from 25 yards, though Mitov had it covered all the way. That Celtic were taking pot shots from distance so early was a first moral victory for the Dons. Moments later, Johnston overhit a cross from the right so badly that it went out for a throw on the other side.
Aberdeen were on the break on 38, clearing a Celtic corner and seeing Dorrington go marauding 70 yards down the left before he was dispossessed, an important break to give the Dons some respite at the back.
But Aberdeen could not keep out a Celtic corner after 39 minutes, and it was all misfortune as they fell behind, Carter-Vickers getting the faintest touch on a header, the ball then striking Dorrington on the arm and ricocheted behind Mitov and crept into the net off the back post.
Carter-Vickers was booked on 44 for a late challenge on Ante Palaversa on midway, then Shinnie followed him in for being a little too vociferous in a disagreement with the Celtic defender. From the free-kick, Dorrington fell awkwardly as the ball came into the box and needed treatment on his shoulder.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 CELTIC 1
The second half opened with Shinnie arcing a dangerous looking free-kick through the Celtic box, but there were no red shirts getting on the end of it. It was part of the Dons playing higher up the pitch in the early moments, Palaversa winning a free-kick in the 50th minute after Maeda hacked at him from behind. From a central position 25 yards out, Leighton Clarkson didn’t get enough on it and Schmeichel had a comfortable take.
At the other end, Maeda flicked a near post header over the bar from a Kuhn corner in the 54th minute. Three minutes later, Gueye replaced Keskinen. He offered a fresh physical presence and won a free-kick after 63 minutes, Clarkson firing it in from the left flank, Nisbet putting the ball over the bar off his shoulder at the near post.
There was an escape for Aberdeen a minute later, slick passing play from Celtic teeing up Engels 20 yards out, his shot across goal thumping off the base of the post. Celtic made a triple switch straight after that, with Kuhn, Idah and Engels replaced by McCowan, Yang and Forrest.
Aberdeen weren’t far away from an equaliser in the 67th minute, Alexander Jensen slinging in a cross from the right, Scales slicing the ball just wide of his own goal. Milne needed some treatment in the 71st minute but was able to carry on.
The Dons continued to push forward, a mix up in the Celtic box almost allowing Clarkson to profit before they cleared their lines. Up the other end, Dorrington made a crucial block to just nod a vicious Taylor drive over the bar, but he too crumpled to the turf in the aftermath, and was limping heavily thereafter.
Aberdeen made a triple change on 79 minutes amid confusion on the sidelines as to who was being replaced, ultimately Dante Polvara, Shayden Morris and Oday Dabbagh, coming on for Dorrington, Nisbet and Clarkson.
It was an inspired change, for, on 83 minutes, Aberdeen squared the game up. Gueye had stretched the Celtic defence down the left before squaring the ball. The Dons kept the pressure on and fed Morris on the right. He played a teasing, curving ball int the six yard box where Schmeichel, in his desperation to clear, dived forward and swiped the ball into his own net. Hampden has rarely seen celebrations like it since they invented the roar. Even Jimmy Thelin went so far as to punch the air.
As we headed into seven minutes of added time, Jack MacKenzie replaced Devlin, after he had put in a powerful shift and eventually succumbed to cramp.
In the 93rd minute, Maeda was sent clean through with the chance to win the cup, but Mitov was magnificent, chasing out to meet him and making a brilliant save with an outstretched left leg. Yang was booked for a foul on Shinnie as he tried to chase down the loose ball.
Aberdeen had a corner on 94, but Celtic cleared it, Maeda on the chase again, Mats Knoester booked for a foul on him as the game flew from one end to the other.
FULL-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 CELTIC 1
Palaversa was booked in the third minute of extra-time, pulling Forrest down as he tried to get away on the break. Moments later, Milne’s epic display came to an end as he was replaced by Tobers in Aberdeen’s sixth and final change. The Dons had put in an exhausting display to this point and Milne wasn’t the only one feeling the pace.
Forrest went down injured in the 95th minute and his race was run, Kenny replacing him. Mitov was well positioned to make a routine save from McCowan’s pot shot from just inside the box in the 97thminute.
Schlupp replaced Bernardo in the 99th minute, just before McGregor got underneath one from 25 yards and lofted his shot way over the Aberdeen bar. Palaversa required treatment for cramp moments later, but there was no option for him but to carry on.
It was Celtic doing the pressing again now, but the Dons continued to defend magnificently and kept the sides all square as we headed into 15 final minutes.
HALF-TIME EXTRA-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 CELTIC 1
Morris was on the run in the opening minute of the second half, Schlupp making a terrifically timed tackle to concede a corner. Palaversa’s delivery was to the back post where Gueye headed the ball down to Polvara on the penalty spot, but his swipe at it on the volley flashed just over the bar.
Moments later, McGregor was played into space just inside the area, Polvara making a vital block on his shot, but the ball fell loose to Schlupp who smashed a first time shot against the bar from 25 yards.
Celtic were on the front foot again on 112, Kenny up highest to Johnston’s cross, but from six yards out, he glanced his header well wide of goal. The Dons had a glorious opening a minute later, a Scales error seeing Jensen pick up the loose ball and slide a pass into Gueye, but as he tried to curl his effort into the far corner from just inside the box, he hit the ball into the ground and it bounced up kindly for Schmeichel to catch.
There was a brief VAR check for a penalty after McCowan threw himself to the turf in the vicinity of MacKenzie on 115 minutes, but that was laughed out of court with the minimum of delay.
Another chance came Celtic’s way on 119, a low pass putting Yang in behind but rather than crossing, from a tight angle he blasted the ball well over the bar, one minute added on, the last chance snuffed out by Mitov’s catch from a hopeful header in. Penalties.
FULL-TIME EXTRA-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 CELTIC 1
Penalties were taken at the Celtic end of Hampden, with Celtic taking the first kick.
McGregor put it to Mitov’s right, the Aberdeen keeper down to make a fine save. 0-0.
Shinnie smashed his kick into Schmechel’s top right corner. He went the wrong way, but he wasn’t saving it anyway. 1-0.
Kenny sent Mitov the wrong way to score. 1-1.
Polvara buried his spot kick in Schmeichel’s bottom right corner, the keeper going the wrong way. 2-1.
McCowan sent Mitov the wrong way to score. 2-2.
Dabbagh smacked his kick into the sane top corner as Shinnie. 3-2.
Maeda drilled his shot through Miotv, the keeper getting a hand to it but unable to stop it. 3-3.
Palaversa put his kick into Shinnie corner. 4-3.
Johnston put it to Mitov’s right. And the goalkeeper saved it. HE ONLY SAVED IT! 4-3.
ABERDEEN HAVE WON THE SCOTTISH CUP.
Happy 60th birthday Brian Irvine. Dimi will take the interviews from here.
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Knoester, Dorrington (Morris 79), Milne (Tobers 94), Jensen, Shinnie, Clarkson (Polvara 79), Palaversa, Devlin (MacKenzie 90+1), Keskinen (Gueye 57), Nisbet (Dabbagh 79).
Subs not used: Doohan, Boyd.
GOAL: Schmeichel (og) (83)
BOOKED: Shinnie, Knoester
CELTIC: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, Engels (McCowan 66), McGregor, Bernardo (Schlupp 99), Kuhn (Forrest 66 (Kenny 96)), Idah (Yang 66), Maeda.
Subs not used: Sinisalo, Ralston, Trusty.
GOAL: Dorrington (og) (39)
BOOKED: Carter-Vickers, Yang
