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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers expects competition from a resurgent Aberdeen will inspire his own side to improve as the two unbeaten sides go head-to-head at Hampden.
Jimmy Thelin’s side travel to Glasgow for the Premier Sports Cup semi-final clash on the back of a 2-1 win over Rangers in the Premiership, having previously drawn 2-2 with Celtic last month.
Both sides remain unbeaten in domestic competition, and Rodgers believes an in-form Aberdeen will help push Celtic to continue improving.
“I think it’s brilliant,” he said ahead of Saturday’s semi-final. “Whether it is football, or whether it is business, any competition is healthy and it’s what makes you better.
“You will always drive your own standards and your own standard of performance, absolutely. But competition is really, really healthy and can keep moving you forward.
“Aberdeen are up there fighting as well, and everyone will expect Rangers to be there at some point. There will be other teams, big clubs from Edinburgh will feel they want to be up there challenging as well.
“So I think the more competitive, then of course that can improve you.”
The Dons finished second in both of Rodgers’ two full seasons during his first spell in Scotland, were runners-up in three of the five domestic cup finals he won in that time and took Celtic to penalties in their Scottish Cup semi-final last season.
Rodgers hailed the work his opposite number has done since taking over at Pittodrie in the summer.
“It’s a great credit to them in their first 10 league games that they have played with that consistency and done really, really well,” he said.
“Jimmy has come in and done a fantastic job and he has a good coaching staff behind the scenes too.
“Every game is a big game for us so the mantra this week isn’t so different. When you are a Celtic player or manager, every game is huge and, obviously, a semi-final at Hampden is also a big game.”
Meanwhile Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin insists he's not looking back to the 2-2 draw with Celtic ahead of the sides facing each other at Hampden.
"We don’t think too much about the last game," he said ahead of the semi-final.
"It’s a new game, it’s a cup game, so for us, we prepare for this specific game, not the last game we played against them.
"I can imagine Brendon and Celtic learned things about us and we learned things about them, but it’s about respecting their qualities and finding the weakness."
Thelin, who will make his first visit to Hampden for the semi-final, is confident his side will continue the belief displayed in their unbeaten run so far this season.
"Winning or losing, we have to have a strong belief in what we’re doing as usual," he said.
Celtic will have Callum McGregor, Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn available after their return to fitness. Luke McCowan is cup-tied, while Odin Thiago Holm remains sidelined due to a calf injury.
Aberdeen expect to have Kevin Nisbet available after missing the last two games through injury. Dante Polvara is back in training after a hamstring injury but unlikely to feature while Pape Habib Gueye remains unavailable.
Aberdeen have lost all nine Hampden meetings with Celtic since last beating them at the national stadium 32 years ago when Eoin Jess scored in a 1-0 win in the League Cup semi-final.
Celtic and Aberdeen last met in the League Cup in the 2018 final, with the Parkhead side - led by Brendan Rodgers in his first spell in charge - lifting the trophy after Ryan Christie scored the only goal.
Aberdeen have won the League Cups six times, with their last coming in 2014 when they beat Inverness CT on penalties after a goalless draw.
Celtic have won the League Cup on 21 occasions, most recently in 2023 when they beat Rangers 2-1 in the final.
Aberdeen lost the final 1-0 last year to Rangers, the 10th time the Dons have finished runners-up.
The Pittodrie men, who started in the group stage, have won six ties against lower-league sides to reach Hampden, scoring 20 goals and conceding just one (a 2-1 win over Aridrie).
Celtic have made the last four by beating Hibs 3-1 and Falkirk 5-2.
