Celtic will be looking to continue their Viaplay Cup defence on Saturday when they face Kilmarnock in the semi-finals.
Jota's first-half strike followed by an Ash Taylor own goal saw Celtic beat Kilmarnock 2-0 in the Scottish Premiership last weekend, the perfect preparation for their clash in the semi-final. The winner on Saturday afternoon will face either Rangers or Aberdeen in the final at Hampden Park.
The Hoops enter the clash with a great record against Kilmarnock, winning all of their last 11 meetings against Derek McInnes' side. Ange Postecoglou's side beat Hibernian 2-1 in the final last season, with the Hoops just two wins away from retaining the trophy. It is one that holds a special place in the heart of the Hoops gaffer having lifted it as his first trophy in charge last year.
So, can Celtic book their spot in the showpiece on Saturday evening? We simulated the game to try and find out.
Celtic vs Kilmarnock simulated
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the Celtic squad with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Celtic could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Bernabei; O'Riley, McGregor, Hatate; Jota, Kyogo, Maeda.
We predict that the visitors could set up in a 3-5-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Hemming; Wright, Talor, Stokes; Mayo, McInroy, Polworth, Power, Chrisene; Doige, Robinson.
Surprisingly, Celtic struggled in the first half of the semi-final, with Kilmarnock having two goals chalked off in the opening 45 minutes for offside. The Hoops found their stride in the second half, but goal-line technology was required in the 67th minute to decide if Celtic had taken the lead or not.
A corner was cleared out of the box by Kilmarnock, but Jota floated the ball back into the box where Kyogo Furuhashi met the cross with a scuffed volley. The lack of contact on the ball sent his effort past the 'keeper, but Ash Taylor was on hand to stop the shot from trickling in, thumping the shot off the line and into the stands.
Minutes later, Kyogo hit the post with an acrobatic effort, and that was the closest Celtic was come as the 90 minutes ended 0-0. Extra time began, and both sides struggled to create any major chances until the 116th minute when a Hoops substitute scored the winning goal.
Jota's corner was sent towards Giorgos Giakoumakis at the front post, and the substitute did well to flick a header across with power. His effort went flying past the 'keeper at the near post, securing the win and confirming Celtic's spot in the final.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Celtic 1-0 Kilmarnock (AET)
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Celtic could leave it late against Kilmarnock on Saturday, with the visitors pushing the Hoops into extra time in the simulation. A 116th-minute goal from Giakoumakis secured the win that would send Celtic to the final of the competition.
What do you think the score will be between Celtic and Kilmarnock on Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
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