Partick Thistle 0-4 Celtic

Yang (26′) Scales (28′) Tounekti (46′) McCowan (79′)

Defending Champions Celtic have secured their place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals with a win against Partick Thistle.

First-half goals from Yang and Scales were enough to put the bhoys in the driving seat, and they added to that in the second half with goals from Tounekti and McCowan. 

In the first half, Celtic dominated possession from the start, with new signing Tounekti showing promising attacking intent. Despite Celtic’s control, the opening 20 minutes saw them struggling to convert possession into clear chances.

Partick Thistle, on the other hand, absorbed the pressure, waiting for counter-attacking opportunities.

The deadlock broke in the 26th minute when Yang headed home a cross from Nygren. This goal ignited Celtic, who quickly added a second in the 28th minute, with Liam Scales heading in another Nygren cross.

Celtic continued to look dangerous, though the pace slowed before halftime. A couple of uncharacteristic errors from Cameron Carter-Vickers briefly threatened the Celtic goal towards the end of the half.

The second half opened with fan protests against the Celtic board, but the team quickly added to their lead. Just after the restart, new signings Tounekti and Iheanacho combined for Tounekti’s first goal, making it 3-0.

Iheanacho, who had been quiet, became more influential. With the game effectively decided, Celtic controlled possession without pressing intensely. The third goal early in the half drained much of the game’s momentum. In the 80th minute, a defensive error from Thistle allowed substitutes Balikwisha and McCowan to combine for Celtic’s fourth goal.

Celtic’s 4-0 victory, a fair reflection of their dominance, secured their spot in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals. Despite off-field fan discontent, new signings proved impactful, and the team showed an improved performance. They now face their rivals, Rangers, in the Semi-Finals on November 1st.

It was not to be for the Jags today, and they now turn their attention back to the Championship, where if they win their two games in hand, they can go joint top of the league.

Partick Thistle: Budinauckas, Logan, Ashcroft, O’ Reilly, Reading, Crawford, Stanway, Letsosa, Chalmers, Watt, Fitzpatrick

Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Hatate, Nygren, Yang, Iheanacho, Tounekti

Attendance: 8817