The underdogs have certainly earned the right to be here, knocking out Aberdeen and Rangers along the way.

Motherwell topped Group F, with wins over Queen's Park, Morton, Edinburgh City and Berwick Rangers.

The knock-out rounds started with an extra-time 3-2 victory at Ross County, then a hugely impressive 3-0 demolition of the Dons before Rangers were beaten 2-0 at Hampden last month.

Celtic's passage has been shorter since European representatives are spared July's group phase. It has also been high-scoring, with a 5-0 win over Kilmarnock and a 4-0 win at Dundee before Hibernian were overcome 4-2 in the semi-final.

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Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson talking to BBC Sportsound: "If we go toe-to-toe with Celtic footballwise, then they'll win, so we have to try and disrupt their rhythm and make it a game that suits us.

"I've never enjoyed losing a football match, so we are here determined to put in a good performance and we'll see where that takes us.

"We'll play to our strengths. We are athletic, we get about the pitch. We've got two super strikers and we like to get the ball into the box as early as we can. We've been relatively successful so far."

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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers talking to BBC Sportsound: "The hunger and ambition of the team is always there and it's my job to ensure that.

"There are different styles of football, there is no right or wrong way. Motherwell get the ball up early and they work very hard. We have to match that physicality and, from there, we have to play our football. That' something in the main we do very well.

"When you manage a big team, there is always pressure. How we've coped with that has been great in my time here."

If Celtic defend the trophy, Rodgers would be first Celtic manager to win four in a row since the great Jock Stein.

The Motherwell players rejected the offer of new suits for the occasion.

"We're not a suits type of team," defender Peter Hartley explained. "That's not for us.

"That doesn't win or lose you a game of football.

"We are an honest, hard working group of lads. We just go out there and give everything we've got and what happens, happens.

"We don't want to be sweating on the coach to Hampden and YouTube-ing how to do a Windsor knot.

"We'll turn up in our tracksuits and do what we are there to do."

"Life at Celtic is full of expectation," said midfielder Stuart Armstrong when asked about the chastening experience in Paris. "You have to win trophies. You have to win every game.

"As a Celtic player you learn to deal with that and that's part and parcel of playing here. We want to bounce back and have a positive result. In football, if there's disappointment you have to move on fast.

"There's a game every three days for the next month, so we have to move on and be fully focused on the next game."

While Motherwell have had a full week to prepare, buoyed by a great league win at Pittodrie, Celtic must pick themselves up after a 7-1 Champions League mauling at the hands of Paris St-Germain.

Moussa Dembele cracked in the opening goal inside the second minute at the Parc des Princes but Neymar, Cavani, Mbappe & co came roaring back in frightening style to absolutely steamroller the visitors.

It's not the first heavy European defeat for Brendan Rodgers and an unbeaten domestic run of 64 games suggests the team have no problems regaining focus on the home front.

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Motherwell are a much changed side this season, with manager Stephen Robinson overhauling the squad during the summer.

The Northern Irishman has also added some serious steel to the Steelmen and they certainly won't be pushed about.

"There's been a complete change in the mindset," explained captain Carl McHugh during the week.

"We don't want a day out. We want to go and win the cup."

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This is the first meeting between the clubs this season since their scheduled league encounter was on the same weekend as the semi-finals.

The teams will certainly be very familiar by the end of the week, with the rescheduled Premiership match on Wednesday at Fir Park and another league game to follow on Saturday at Celtic Park.

There's plenty of room for a new addition in the trophy room at Fir Park.

Motherwell have won the League Cup once before but that was way back in 1950.

They lost to Hearts four years later but this is just their fourth time in the final following a 5-1 drubbing from Rangers in 2005.

The last Hampden celebration for the Steelmen came in 1991 Scottish Cup final after a thrilling 4-3 win over Dundee United.

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Celtic are defending all of the domestic trophies after an unprecedented unbeaten Treble in Brendan Rodgers' debut season.

They picked up the League Cup last year after a very comfortable 3-0 victory over Aberdeen.

That took Celtic's tally to 16 successes in this competition, while they have been runners-up on 15 occasions.

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Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Rugby Park

A more direct approach did put doubt over the result in a match Derek McInnes might feel should have been done and dusted.

That was until Stevie May fired Aberdeen's decisive third, although credit to Kilmarnock for finding a route to eventually trouble Aberdeen's defence.

Ultimately, Steve Clarke's side could ill-afford the concession of two early goals despite a more positive second half as their winless home run continues.

For Aberdeen, this win ahead of a double header against Rangers provides a tantalising opportunity to strengthen their league position in the coming week.

The man aiming to stop Brendan Rodgers is his fellow Northern Irishman Stephen Robinson.

The pair have never gone head to head before but there is a healthy mutual respect.

"Stephen has come to Motherwell and has done absolutely brilliant with them," said Rodgers this week. "When I analyse them and see the intensity at which they work and play with, they leave nothing in the changing room. It's all out there in the field and they have had some very good results. They deserve to be in the final. They got the results to demonstrate that."

Robinson said of his opposite number: "Brendan is a top-class manager, I can't imagine he will turn up casual against us in any shape or form.

"We are going to play our way and try and impose our way of playing on it. Celtic have proved over numerous games now that when they impose their game, they win football matches. So we have to try and disrupt that and interrupt their pattern of play."

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Here we go for the main event. The first trophy of the campaign is up for grabs at Hampden.

Can Motherwell spring a surprise or will Celtic make it a perfect four from four for manager Brendan Rodgers, who swept all before him last season?

Motherwell have never beaten Celtic in their five previous national cup final meetings, dating back to 1931.

The sides most recently contested a final in the 2011 Scottish Cup, where Neil Lennon claimed his first trophy as Celtic boss after a 3-0 victory.

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Aberdeen secure a convincing win that takes Derek McInnes' side to within three points of Premiership leaders Celtic, who have a game in hand as they have more important matters at Hampden to keep them occupied this afternoon.

They are now also four points ahead of Hibs, who have played one game more, and two more clear of Rangers.

Kilmarnock, meanwhile, remain level on points with second-bottom Dundee, one point ahead of Partick Thistle, who have played one game less.

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Aberdeen's Greg Tansey is the latest to be booked for a foul on Alan Power.

That must surely end Kilmarnock's hopes of rescuing a point.

Jordan Jones has a little stamp at Shay Logan as they challenge for a ball and the winger is shown his second yellow card of the day.

Gordon Smith
Former SFA chief executive

Kilmarnock are piling on the pressure and it is Stuart Findlay's turn to have a pop at goal.

However, the on-loan Newcastle United defender's drive is a foot over the crossbar.

Steve Clarke will be wishing his side had not waited until they were 3-1 down to play like this.

It's no surprise to see Motherwell unchanged for the League Cup final after last Saturday's 2-0 victory away to Aberdeen.

The League Cup holders welcome back Scott Sinclair and Stuart Armstrong, with midfielders Olivier Ntcham and Tom Rogic dropping to the bench for the final at Hampden.

Defender Mikael Lustig has shaken off a dead leg sustained in the first half of the midweek mauling against Paris St-Germain.

Erik Sviatchenko, who has not played since August, is fit enough for a place on the bench.

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