BRENDAN RODGERS has proved to be unbeatable at Hampden.
The 52-year-old Irishman will defend a proud personal record when the holders face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final at the national stadium tomorrow afternoon.
Rodgers has featured on 14 occasions at the Mount Florida ground on the south side of Glasgow – and has emerged victorious on each encounter.
There have been two 3-3 draws – the Dons in the Scottish Cup last four in April 2024 and Rangers in the Premier Sports League Cup Final in December – but on both occasions the Hoops gaffer has watched his side triumph on penalty-kicks.
NUMBER ONE…Brendan Rodgers proudly holds aloft the League Cup after the 3-0 success over Aberdeen at Hampden in November 2016.
They overcame the Dons 6-5 and then the Govan side 5-4. Goalkeepers Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel proved pivotal in the shoot-outs with crucial saves.
The Parkhead men met the Pittodrie club in the League Cup semi-final earlier in the campaign, but there was no need for a dramatic spot-kick conclusion as the Hoops ran amok in a 6-0 success with Daizen Maeda proving to be unstoppable with a hat-trick while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn added the others.
Rodgers’ impressive sequence of success kicked off with a 1-0 victory over Rangers, then bossed by Mark Warburton, in the League Cup semi-final on October 23 2016. Moussa Dembele was the matchwinner.
The gaffer collected his first piece of silverware following a 3-0 success over the Dons, then bossed by Derek McInnes, in the competition’s Final the following month.
The Pittodrie side were on the receiving end of another Rodgers celebration later that season when Tom Rogic claimed a late Scottish Cup winner.
NUMBER SEVEN…a beaming Brendan Rodgers shows off the newly-won League Cup as the manager and players enjoy the penalty-kick triumph over Rangers in mid-December.
And the north east team completed an unwanted hat-trick when they were runners-up again in the League Cup decider on December 2 2018 when Ryan Christie netted the all-important goal.
Strikes from Greg Taylor, Maeda and Kuhn saw the Final of the same trophy go to extra-time just before the turn of the year. The destination of the silverware was decided when Schmeichel plunged to his left to deny Ridvan Yilmaz and that man Maeda made no mistake with the team’s fifth spot-kick.
Joy Rodgers has made Hampden his personal fortress as he has lifted SEVEN Cups in a row at the arena over his two stints in an unparalleled run of silverware success.
The glory list reads:
2016/17
League Cup
Semi-final
CELTIC 1 RANGERS 0
Dembele
Final
CELTIC 3 ABERDEEN 0
Rogic, Forrest, Dembele pen
SCOTTISH CUP
Semi-final
CELTIC 2 RANGERS 0
McGregor, Sinclair (pen)
Final
CELTIC 2 ABERDEEN 1
Armstrong, Rogic
2017/18
League Cup
Semi-final
CELTIC 4 HIBS 2
Lustig (2), Dembele (2)
Final
CELTIC 2 MOTHERWELL 0
Forrest, Dembele pen
Scottish Cup
Semi-final
CELTIC 4 RANGERS 0
Rogic, McGregor, Dembele (pen), Ntcham (pen)
Final
CELTIC 2 MOTHERWELL O
McGregor, Ntcham
Season 2018/19
League Cup
Semi-final
CELTIC 3 HEARTS 0*
Sinclair (pen), Forrest, Christie
Final
CELTIC 1 ABERDEEN 0
Christie
Season 2023/24
Scottish Cup
Semi-final
CELTIC 3 ABERDEEN 3 (6-5 on pens)
Kuhn, Forrest, O’Riley
Final
CELTIC 1 RANGERS 0
Idah
Season 2924/25
League Cup
Semi-final
CELTIC 6 ABERDEEN 0
Maeda (3), Carter-Vickers, Kyogo, Kuhn
Final
CELTIC 3 RANGERS 3 (5-4 on pens)
Taylor, Maeda, Kuhn
Scottish Cup
Semi-final
CELTIC 5 ST JOHNSTONE 0
McGregor, Maeda (2), Idah, Jota
*Played at Tynecastle with Hampden unavailable.
