Scottish League Cup semi-finals - all you need to know
- Published
Four top-flight sides will compete for a place in the Scottish League Cup final
It's Scottish League Cup semi-final weekend, with four top-flight sides heading to Hampden aiming to take a step towards winning the season's first major silverware.
Callum Davidson's St Johnstone - cup double winner's last season - will have no fear as they face a revitalised Celtic under Ange Postecoglou on Saturday, while Rangers will have new boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst watching on for Sunday's meeting with Hibernian.
Route to the last four
Celtic were made to work for their first win in the competition as they beat Hearts 3-2, but in the quarter-finals they breezed past Championship side Raith Rovers 3-0.
St Johnstone had their work cut out against Arbroath, being taken to extra-time then penalties before prevailing. A more straightforward 2-0 win over Tayside rivals Dundee followed in the last eight.
Rangers scored five without reply against Dunfermline Athletic in the second round and overcame quarter-final opponents Livingston 2-0. The Ibrox side are the only team in the last four yet to concede a goal in the tournament.
Last season's Scottish Cup finalists, Hibernian, beat Kilmarnock 2-0 before securing a 3-1 win over fellow top-flight side Dundee United.
What would a final place mean?
More of the same for St Johnstone. Callum Davidson's side beat Hibs at this stage last season and triumphed in the final against Livingston. They then beat St Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final before defeating Hibs again in the final. Shaun Rooney scored the winner in both finals and last term's semi against Hibs.
Davidson is already being spoken about as the Perth club's greatest manager after just one season. You are quickly running out of ways to describe him if he gets the club back into another showpiece final so quickly.
Reaching a final in his first season with Celtic would be a statement of intent by Postecoglou but one largely expected by a support so used to success. Celtic have won five of the past seven League Cup tournaments. After an inconsistent start to the season, Celtic have found form.
Fans will be expecting a challenge in the league, both domestic cups and in Europe, with some silverware to be back in their cabinet come the end of the season. Momentum is a massive part of the game and perhaps reaching a final - so early in the season - would further spur on this new Celtic side as they search for tangible success this season.
Rangers striker Jermain Defoe will help lead the first team with new manager Van Bronckhorst expected to watch in the stand. Regardless of who is in the dugout come Sunday, though, an improvement on recent cup tournaments will be the desire of the fans.
A result would allow fans to - perhaps quietly - let out a sigh of relief. Rangers were four points clear in the league when Steven Gerrard departed and supporters will be keen to make sure their team show no signs of faltering as a new era is swept in.
The Ibrox side have reached just two major finals in the past six seasons - losing both - and 2010 was their last triumph in this competition. Defoe and co are unlikely to alter Rangers' tactical approach, with the side unbeaten in 13 domestic games.
Currently on a run of four successive defeats and floating precariously around mid-table territory in the league, Hibs maybe need the boost a win would give them this weekend more than any.
League Cup winners in 2007, the Easter Road side have waited the longest of the last four for another win in the final, although they did triumph in the Scottish Cup final in 2016.
A win would also be galvanising given their recent off-field issues, with their past two league games postponed because of a Covid outbreak.
St Johnstone's Shaun Rooney was one of the Perth club's heroes last season
What the records show
The Scottish version is the oldest League Cup competition in existence and Rangers have won it a record 27 times.
Celtic have the most appearances in finals without winning - 15 - but the last of those was in 2012 and they have won the final on 19 occasions.
Hibs have won the competition three times, while Saints' win in late February was their first victory in the final of the tournament.
Team news
Celtic: Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis misses out with a knee injury, while the match is likely to come too soon for Sweden centre-half Carl Starfelt and Australia midfielder Tom Rogic.
Defenders Christopher Jullien and Greg Taylor continue their comeback from long-term injury on the sidelines.
St Johnstone: Glenn Middleton is almost certain to miss out after the on-loan Rangers winger tweaked a hamstring playing for Scotland Under-21s in midweek.
On-loan St Mirren midfielder Cammy MacPherson is cup-tied and Stevie May is also out after suffering a knee injury in training, but fellow striker Chris Kane is clear to play as his suspension for being sent off against St Mirren only applies to the league.
Rangers: Fit-again Scotland midfielder Ryan Jack is pushing for a start after coming off the bench against Ross County.
But centre-half Filip Helander remains on the sidelines with a knee problem and midfielder Nnamdi Ofoborh is also still missing with a heart issue.
Hibernian: Striker Christian Doidge returns to the squad after being out of action for three and a half months with an Achilles injury.
Kyle Magennis is still absent with a groin problem that has kept him sidelined since the end of September and, although fellow midfielder Melker Hallberg and left-back Sean Mackie are both back in training following long-term injury lay-offs, neither is expected to be involved this weekend.
When are the games and how can I follow the action?
BBC Sport Scotland has you covered. Celtic v St Johnstone is Saturday's match (kick-off 17:15 GMT), with online and radio commentary on BBC Radio Scotland MW/digital and online.
You can also follow Sunday's match-up of Rangers v Hibs (kick-off 16:00) on both platforms, with radio coverage starting from 14:00.