On this day (02/12/2018) Celtic defeated Aberdeen 1-0 at Hampden to win the League Cup, a victory which marked the seventh consecutive domestic honour the club has won under Brendan Rodgers. Ryan Christie was the goal hero, latching on to a wonderful long ball from Dedryck Boyata, and though his first effort was saved by goalkeeper, Joe Lewis, the Celtic midfielder was quickest to pounce on the rebound, firing the ball into the roof of the net. Celtic dominated the game, and created numerous chances, with Lewis producing a number of saves, including a penalty stop to deny Scott Sinclair, to keep the scoreline down. But when the final whistle sounded, there could be no denying that the Hoops deserved to retain the trophy for a third consecutive season. Both teams started the game with an intensity fitting of the occasion, showcased by a flurry of hard tackles in the middle of the pitch. Aberdeen pressed the Scottish champions deep into their half in the opening five minutes, but the first clear-cut opportunity was carved by Celtic’s Tom Rogic. A cultured long ball from the Hoops’ centre-back Filip Benkovic found Mikael Lustig on the right flank, before the Swede knocked it on to James Forrest. The winger’s inside pass was picked up by Rogic, who then fired a left-foot drive which beat Lewis but hit the post. On the 26-minute mark, Rogic and Forrest combined to create a half-chance for the Hoops, with the Australian’s shot blocked, while just a minute later, Odsonne Edouard collected the ball in central midfield before finding Rogic in the inside-right channel. In turn, he played in Forrest, and the 27-year-old followed with a snap-shot that was dragged wide across Lewis’ right-hand post. There was a prolonged break in the play on 38 minutes following a serious clash of heads between Gary Mackay-Steven and Boyata. Celtic’s Belgian defender required stiches to a head wound while Mackay-Steven needed more extensive treatment before being stretchered off. It meant six minutes of time added on to the first-half, and it was in this period that Celtic grabbed the all-important opener. Boyata, back on the field, found Christie in the final third. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder controlled the ball superbly on his left before firing a shot a goal with his right foot that was well-saved by Lewis. However, Christie fired the rebound into the net, ensuring the Hoops went into the break with a 1-0 lead. The League Cup holders continued their pressing play into the second half, and a flurry of counter-attacks provided a handful of half-chances for Forrest and Edouard. On 53 minutes, Celtic were awarded a penalty when Dominic Ball was deemed to have handled in the box, but though Sinclair’s spot-kick was well-struck, Lewis reached to his right to turn the ball around the post. Just before the hour, the ever-impressive Filip Benkovic found space 25 yards out, and his rifled shot was again stopped by a good save from Lewis. Aberdeen’s best chance in the second-half came from Celtic substitute, Jozo Simunovic, defected a cross on to Scott Bain’s crossbar, while, minutes later, at the other end, a sublime piece of footwork from Edouard was followed by a curling shot over. Celtic continued to look dangerous on the break, though there was to be no further scoring. The final whistle sparked great scenes of green and white celebrations on the pitch and in the stands as the Hoops celebrated another silverware success under Brendan Rodgers. #otd #onthisday 🍀Subscribe today to the official YouTube of the world’s first Quadruple Treble winners, Celtic Football Club:
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