Hampden Park is ready for its annual moment of Scottish football theatre, and this year’s Scottish Cup final has all the makings of a classic.
Celtic go into Sunday’s showpiece as overwhelming favourites, but Dunfermline Athletic have proved throughout this competition that they’re not here just to make up the numbers. The Pars have knocked out higher-ranked opposition before, and their supporters will make the trip to Glasgow’s national stadium in genuine belief.
For Celtic, it’s a chance to complete a domestic double and cap off what has been a dominant season under their manager. A win would see them lift the Scottish Cup for the 42nd time in the club’s history, cementing their status as the most decorated club in Scottish football.
Dunfermline, competing two divisions below Celtic in the Championship, are the underdogs in every possible sense. But that tag hasn’t bothered them so far. Their run to the final has captured the imagination of neutral fans across Scotland, and there’s a real sense that the East End Park faithful are simply enjoying every minute of it.
“This is what you play football for,” one Dunfermline supporter said outside the stadium this week. “Nobody gave us a chance at the start of this run, and here we are.”
Kick-off is at 3pm on Sunday, with the match broadcast live on BBC One Scotland and S4C, meaning there’s no excuse to miss a single second. Hampden’s capacity crowd of around 51,000 is expected to be close to full, with the Celtic end predictably sold out within hours of tickets going on sale.
The Celtic squad carries some notable injury concerns heading into the weekend, though the management have stayed tight-lipped on exactly who’s fit and who isn’t. Dunfermline, by contrast, have a relatively settled lineup and will likely set up compact and disciplined, hoping to frustrate their opponents before striking on the counter.
Weather forecasters are predicting dry conditions in Glasgow on Sunday afternoon, which should make for good football on the Hampden surface.
Whether Dunfermline can pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets in Scottish Cup final history, only 90 minutes, and possibly extra time, will tell.
