Celtic got themselves a win over Hearts at Parkhead in midweek despite not putting in a great performance. Goals from Kyogo, Daizen Maeda and Sead Haksabanovic were enough to seal three very important points in the Premiership title race. But now, the focus will turn towards the Scottish Cup, as the Hoops will take on Robbie Neilson’s team again, but this time away at Tynecastle Park.
For Hearts, this match is even more important as this tournament is their last remaining hope of winning some silverware this season. On the other hand, Celtic are not only looking to win the Scottish Cup but to keep their treble hopes alive as well.
Thus, it is safe to say that a lot will be riding on this game. Tynecastle Park is always a difficult place to travel to and get a result. So, one can only hope that the Hoops bring their A-game on the day.
It seems like the opposition players will be hoping that the home crowd helps them get a win on the occasion. As reported by the club’s official website, speaking ahead of the big game, Stephen Kingsley told Hearts TV:
"“It’s always a tough ask when you play Celtic, but we can take confidence from our performance on Wednesday night, so, if we can put together a complete 90 minute performance rather than just playing in glimpses.“The fans are going to be right behind us. The place is going to be bouncing, so that’s going to be a massive boost for us to try and get through some of the difficult periods that are likely to come at some point during the game, so to get them at home is brilliant for us.”"
Hearts player makes statement before facing Celtic at Tynecastle Park
It will be very interesting to see how this game plays out. Celtic will certainly be hoping that their performance is better than the one in midweek. Despite winning, that was a lacklustre display from a team capable of so much more.
They will have to be considered the favourites, having only lost one domestic game this season till now. But at the same time, Celtic cannot make the mistake of taking Hearts lightly.
It is a knockout game and anything can happen. Hearts are a good team, very capable of producing an upset. So, Celtic must be at their best.