Premier Sports Cup quarter-finalSunday, September 21 2025Firhill, Glasgow PARTICK THISTLE…0 CELTIC…4(Yang 26, Scales 28, Tounekti 46 & McCowan 80) Celtic booked their place in the League Cup semi-final with a comprehensive performance at Firhill, sweeping Partick Thistle aside with a 4-0 victory. It was an afternoon of firsts for Yang, Liam Scales and Sebastian Tounekti – Yang and Scales scored their first goals of the season, while Tounekti netted his first since arriving at the club. Substitute Luke McCowan then rounded off the scoring with his first Celtic goal since the opening day of the season. According to Google Maps, it takes around 90 minutes to walk from Firhill to Hampden, so it felt fitting to say the holders were 90 minutes away from a return to the National Stadium in November. Celtic, as expected, had the first sight of goal in the early stages. Superb work from Sebastian Tounekti and Reo Hatate created an opening inside the Partick Thistle area. Benjamin Nygren couldn’t quite make the most of it, and while Kieran Tierney arrived to meet the loose ball, he fired over the bar. Moments later, captain Callum McGregor also sent a shot over. After 10 minutes, Celtic were still looking to find their rhythm but began to piece together some fine passing football. McGregor and Hatate exchanged an excellent one-two to give Kelechi Iheanacho his first glimpse of goal, but his effort failed to trouble Thistle goalkeeper, Lewis Budinauckas. The breakthrough arrived in unusual fashion on 25 minutes. Hatate showed tenacity in midfield to win possession before feeding Tounekti on the left. The Tunisian drove forward and slid the ball into the path of Nygren, who lofted a clever cross to the back post for Yang to nod home. From the away end it initially looked as though the chance had been missed, leading to muted celebrations, but replays confirmed that the South Korean had finished decisively for his first of the season and to put Celtic ahead. Moments later Tounekti tried his luck with a powerful strike that Budinauckas superbly tipped over the bar. From the resulting corner, the Celtic supporters did have cause to celebrate as Liam Scales met a well-worked delivery with a glancing header to double the holders’ advantage and get his first goal of the season as well. With a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark, it already looked an uphill task for Mark Wilson’s side. Yet the hosts carved out a chance when Cameron Carter-Vickers was caught in possession. The ball broke to former Celtic youth player, Tsoanelo Letsosa, whose deflected shot forced a corner. Celtic soon reasserted control. A clever flick from Iheanacho released Yang down the right and the winger cut inside, evading his marker, before finding Hatate in the box. The midfielder attempted an audacious outside-of-the-boot effort towards the top corner, but his shot cleared the crossbar.You had to go back to 1995 for the last time Celtic tasted defeat against the Jags, and that underlined the size of the task facing Mark Wilson as both sides emerged for the second half, with the League Cup holders already having one foot in the semi-final come November. That task became a mountain to climb after just a few moments of the second half. Breaking on the counter-attack, Reo Hatate played a superb ball into the opposition half for Sebastian Tounekti to chase. Rather than immediately finding Kelechi Iheanacho, the Tunisian winger drove forward, cut inside and exchanged a delightful one-two with the Nigerian before calmly slotting the ball past the Partick Thistle goalkeeper for his first goal in the green and white Hoops. Having been the standout performer on his debut at Rugby Park and again here at Firhill, he fully deserved the moment that effectively put the game beyond doubt. Colby Donovan, making only his fourth first-team appearance, impressed once more. He rose well to win a header in midfield and set Iheanacho away, and the striker unleashed a low drive from distance that Budinauckas did well to save. Thistle enjoyed a rare sight of goal just before the hour mark when Logan Chalmers swung a dangerous cross into the Celtic area. Ben Stanway met it with a firm header, drawing an excellent stop from Viljami Sinisalo. But Celtic extended their advantage on 80 minutes. Balikwisha pressed Luke McBeth superbly to win back possession, allowing substitute Luke McCowan, on for Nygren, to race through and calmly slot beyond Budinauckas for Celtic’s fourth of the afternoon. It could have been five soon after, with Balikwisha again at the heart of the action. He cut inside and lofted a precise ball over the Jags defence for Maeda, whose trademark pace left his marker trailing. The Japanese forward attempted a deft chip but failed to connect cleanly. Moments later Balikwisha himself broke clear and tried to lift the ball over the goalkeeper, but his effort drifted narrowly wide. When Kevin Clancy blew for full-time, Celtic’s place in the League Cup semi-final was confirmed. Attention now turns to Europe, with the Hoops beginning their UEFA Europa League campaign on Wednesday at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade against Crvena Zvezda.FixturesPartick Thistle Vs. Celtic – Sun, Sep 21st 2025, 15:30
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