Celtic secured the domestic double by defeating Dunfermline Athletic 2-0 in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on Saturday. Goals from Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels in the first half were enough to seal victory for the Scottish Premiership champions, who added the trophy to their league title won last week.
First Half Dominance
Celtic controlled the first half, taking the lead in the 19th minute when Maeda capitalised on a defensive error from Dunfermline centre-back John Tod. The Japanese forward lobbed the ball over advancing goalkeeper Aston Oxborough after Tod misjudged a long ball from Alistair Johnson. Maeda's goal was his ninth in seven games, ending a barren spell of 18 matches without a goal.
The lead was doubled in the 36th minute when Engels unleashed a dipping shot from 30 yards that beat Oxborough, who appeared unsighted by his own defenders. The goal came after a short pass from Callum McGregor left Engels with space to shoot.
Dunfermline had a golden opportunity to equalise earlier in the half when Callum Morrison poked the ball towards an empty net after a mix-up between Johnson and goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, but Liam Scales cleared off the line.
Second Half Resistance
Dunfermline improved after the break, with manager Neil Lennon making three substitutions at half-time. The Championship side pushed forward and created several chances, with Alfons Amade forcing a save from Sinisalo and Andy Tod testing the Celtic goalkeeper. However, Celtic held firm and managed the game effectively.
Celtic substitute Kelechi Iheanacho had a goal ruled out for offside in the 66th minute, while Dunfermline's Chris Kane required treatment for a bloodied nose after a collision.
Master vs Apprentice
The final pitted two former Celtic managers against each other: Martin O'Neill, the 74-year-old interim Celtic boss, and Neil Lennon, the 54-year-old Dunfermline head coach who played under O'Neill at Leicester City and Celtic. Lennon described the occasion as "surreal" given their long history, while O'Neill expressed pride that experience still has a place in modern football.
For Dunfermline, the defeat ends a remarkable cup run that included victories over Hibernian, Aberdeen, and Falkirk. The Pars were seeking their first major trophy since 1968 and their third Scottish Cup win overall.
Celtic's victory marks their 43rd Scottish Cup triumph, with their most recent prior success coming in 2024 under Brendan Rodgers.
