Elena Sadik hasn’t had the best start as Celtic FC Women’s manager since arriving in Glasgow He lost two of his first two games after taking over. However, the Girls are aiming for a return to winning ways today with a Scottish Cup victory over SWPL1 bottom-placed Hamilton Accies. If Celts win, they will advance to the quarter-finals of the Women’s Scottish Cup.
Elena Sadiku
Our cup defense began in January, appearing in the third round and recording our first win of 2024 against Ayr United on a 7-0 scoreline. The Girls looked set and ready to win the Scottish Cup for the third year in a row.
When we played Ayr, Hamilton played a dramatic close game against Kilmarnock, finishing 3-2. Hamilton led 2-1, but Kilmarnock scored with just a few minutes left to force extra-time and it looked like a penalty shoot-out would be the result, but Joshi Jarre sent a header over the keeper’s head. He made it through, securing the team’s advance to the fourth round.
Hamilton would have preferred an easier opponent, but with the fixture being played at New Douglas Park, they have home advantage. The last time they played there, Celtic ended the day with a 5-0 win and returned to Glasgow with three points. Caitlin Hayes scored the opening goal, while Amy Gallasher, Chloe Craig, Noor Adi and Celia Barclays secured a resounding victory in the SWPL.
Celia Barclays
In terms of form and season performance, it hasn’t been great for the home team. Hamilton has won just two games this season, conceding an average of four goals per game. They have failed to score in 56% of the games they have played this season, taking just six shots on average. The results of the last 5 games are 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. They conceded 12 goals and scored 8.
Celtic have won 83% of their games this season, scoring an average of three goals in away matches. He has kept clean sheets in 67% of away games and averages 19 shots on target. In the last 5 matches, they have 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses. Our two losses are in the last two games. During this period, they scored 19 points and conceded 5 goals.
All stats provided by FootyStats. Percentages and averages only refer to matches played in the Scottish Women’s Premier League and UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Elena Sadik told Celtic TV before the match: I’m really looking forward to the next three games, but what we need to focus on as a team is the next game. Our only focus is against Hamilton.
“We need to come into this game and play more attackingly. Create more chances, score more goals, because that’s what we lacked in the last two games. That’s something we need to keep working on and defensively we need to keep clean sheets.”
team news
There were no press conferences held for the media this week, so there is no update on who will be available and who will be absent. Regardless of the team’s form or performance, managers should be exposed to intense media scrutiny.
If I had to guess, the teams we saw last week should be able to play again this week. This is my team prediction…
LAC is hopeful because he has only played about 20 minutes since returning from injury and is unlikely to be selected into the starting 11 just yet.
This is the perfect match for Flint to find his feet, as it was always going to be a difficult task for him to break into the squad against Glasgow City. Especially when he doesn’t get good reviews from his teammates.
To me, Gallacher was taken off not because of his performance, but because he played the majority of the season and deserved a break. Another reason she drops out is because her manager doesn’t know how to use her yet. Gallasher is a prolific goalscorer but was asked to drop deep in the last game. This obviously didn’t work as well as expected and while she looked decent in this role I would have rather seen her in front of goal.
Amy Gallacher and Tyree Burchill
Burchill comes in because I think he’s an impressive player with a lot of potential. This is a perfect game to start players who are not ready to play against a big team like Glasgow City. rangers, but who wants to develop to get here. She has six goals and one assist in 13 games, and she has some credentials to back up her decision.
It was a difficult decision for me, but Jenny Smith will replace Real Madrid loanee Paula Partido as she did not perform to a good standard in the last match. . Like Gallacher, she’s played a lot of minutes this season, so she should be fine with some time off anyway.
sydney cummings
Hayes was replaced by Sidney Cummings. The defender has played a lot of minutes this season, but he has been error-prone in the last two games. There’s no doubt she’ll perform well against a team like Hamilton, but this is a good chance to get Cummings back on the field.
Also, I don’t think Murphy Agnew was as bad as people say, so she remains in the lineup for me. She wasn’t receiving receptions to make regular runs in the back, but there are certainly guys out there who can make shifts.
Players view
jenny smith
Jenny Smith told Celtic club media before the match: We are trying to recover from the pain of the last few weeks. ”
Speaking about the lessons learned from the difficult few weeks the Celts have had, she said: We want to encourage each other and we know we haven’t been at our best these past few weeks. We know that we need to recover from the mistakes we made. ”
She also touched on how things have been since Elena joined, saying: There is a commotion between the girls. It was really good. ”
The team is focused on winning games, but they know what to expect from Hamilton. “I know they’re very good defensively and they’re going to try to take advantage of us, but I think we’ll do well,” Smith said.
match official
Jamie Wilkie will blow the whistle this afternoon, with Christopher Irving and Lewis Brown supporting him. No VAR.
kickoff time
The Scottish Cup 4th round match against Hamilton Accies kicks off at 16:00. The match will be played at New Douglas Park.
where to watch
This game will not be available for viewing and tickets cannot be purchased in advance. If you’re going to a game, you can buy tickets with cash or card at the gate.
Score prediction
I think this is a must-win game for the coach. If we lose or struggle to beat Hamilton, something is seriously wrong. However, it is unclear whether a match with a high number of points will be on today’s agenda. I think there will still be some tactical experimentation that could cause confusion within the team.
One thing to note for our opponents is that they played away to Dundee United last weekend and really needed three points in a game where the home team were the favorites. Still, Hamilton won his 4-1 and it’s safe to say he could have easily doubled the score. They will be hoping to improve their form after that and shock Celtic, who come into this phase on the back of two disappointing defeats.
Having said that, I am… Hamilton Accies 0 – 3 Celtic FC Women – Always an optimist.
COYGIG – Just like yesterday, I need something to cheer me up this weekend!
jessica elliott
