Four months after their Scottish League Cup final clash, Celtic and St Mirren meet again at Hampden Park, this time in the Scottish Cup semifinals. The Paisley Saints stunned Celtic 3-0 in December, claiming their second League Cup trophy with goals from Marcus Fraser and Jonah Ayunga. That defeat marked the beginning of the end for manager Wilfried Nancy, who lasted just 33 days and eight matches before being sacked.

Celtic's fortunes have since changed dramatically under interim manager Martin O'Neill, who has steadied the ship despite squad flaws. The Hoops reached this semifinal through a tense 4-2 penalty shootout win over Rangers after a goalless 120 minutes at Ibrox. O'Neill, who previously won three Scottish Cups with Celtic between 2001-2005, admits his team isn't yet good enough to dream of lifting the trophy but hopes a Hampden victory could spark a crucial run-in. Meanwhile, St Mirren face different challenges under new manager Craig McLeish after Stephen Robinson's departure to Aberdeen.

St Mirren, battling relegation rather than European qualification, enter with confidence from their December triumph and a strong performance in last week's Premiership meeting. Captain Mark O'Hara believes they can match Celtic and cause an upset, while McLeish insists his team will go toe-to-toe rather than sit back. With six players from the League Cup final starting last weekend and key figures like O'Hara and Jacob Devaney in form, the Buddies believe they can complete a cup double against their Glasgow rivals.