Celtic predicted line-ups for cup match vs Buckie Thistle

Celtic will defend the Scottish Cup for the first time when they host Buckie Thistle of the Highland League at Glasgow’s Celtic Park.

The two teams will square off at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon across four tiers, but Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is excited to entertain the fans for the first home game of 2024.

Having advanced to this level of the tournament by overcoming Tayport, Forres Mechanics, and Broxburn Athletic, Buckie Thistle will play in the Scottish Cup for the fourth time this season. Celtic will want to improve on their last cup performance, which was a 1-0 loss to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the League Cup in August.

They won the Scottish Cup last season under former boss Ange Postecoglou, and this will be the first game of their journey. Rodgers would be aiming to hang onto the other prize that the team now has after giving up the League Cup with such weakness the previous season.

Having said that, who will the boss start against Buckie Thistle on Sunday afternoon? Tony Haggerty and Ryan McGinlay of The Celtic Way weigh in…

McGinlay Ryan
Celtic has to approach this game like any other at home, even if it seems to be a mismatch. They have an opportunity to score a few goals in this match, which would give them a decisive advantage in the domestic second half of the match. With all due respect to Sunday’s opponents, you have to anticipate that the champs will easily defeat them.

Many of the players will need to clear their minds since they were gone on their yearly winter holiday, and this game could be just the right opportunity to do so. Celtic will thus choose the best lineup they can muster, at least to begin the match.

Joe Hart will continue to hold his legitimate position as the team’s top goalkeeper. Since his contract expires in the summer, it stands to reason that he is spending his final six months with the squad, with the scouting staff ideally searching for his long-term replacement between the posts. Whether or whether Cameron Carter-Vickers is fit, there’s no reason to take a chance with him in defense. Because of this, Maik Nawrocki will play with Liam Scales on the back line, maintaining the defensive duo that began the game against St. Mirren and performed well against Rangers. Greg Taylor will start at left back, with Alistair Johnston playing on the other side. However, there have been ongoing rumors regarding a new left back joining the team. In this encounter, one would think that the two would be evaluated more on their offensive than on their defensive performances.

Callum McGregor, the captain, will guide the home side into another Scottish Cup campaign, a tournament he is all too familiar with, from the midfield. Paulo Bernardo, who was maybe Celtic’s best player just before the break, will be paired with him. The on-loan Benfica youngster will be playing to win a permanent deal with the team that opted to take a risk on him, so these next few months will be crucial for him. Moving ahead, Matt O’Riley, the Celtics’ player of the year, will try to terrorize the Buckie defense with his finishing touch and inventiveness. If they can withstand the challenges that the Denmark cap will provide, only time will tell.

Celtic will triumph handily. Buckie Thistle for a pleasurable encounter

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