Moussa Dembélé and Mickael Lustig power Celtic past Hibs to Cup Final

By the very definition of the term, a Hibernian League Cup semi-final win over Celtic would not have represented a shock. After all, you need not have searched far in recent days to discover the theory that Celtic – supposedly weary and wounded from a midweek defeat in Munich – might encounter serious problems against a team who held them to a draw on 30 September. In truth, this belied Celtic’s recent capacity to play well in the immediate aftermath of European encounters.

The only element of shock as visible at Hampden Park resonated in the identity of the man who sent Celtic on the way to yet another domestic victory. If Brendan Rodgers’s reinvigoration of players at his disposal when he arrived at Celtic has been more impressive than his recruitment, and there is logic behind that sense, Mikael Lustig represents case in point. And yet, the Swedish full-back his never been regarded as a potent threat when in an opposition penalty area.

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