Celtic left it late to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup, as they defeated Dundee 2-1 after extra-time.
Having lost December’s League Cup final to St. Mirren during Wilfried Nancy’s ill-fated time at the helm, the Hoops looked to be on their way out of the Scottish Cup at Celtic Park, as they trailed 1-0 heading into second-half stoppage time.
Dundee’s goal was a strike worthy of winning any tie as, with 49 minutes gone, Ethan Hamilton jinked past Callum McGregor in midfield, advanced to the edge of the area, then unleashed a spectacular shot into the top-left corner.
And that was after the visitors had almost taken the lead in the first half when Luke Graham’s side-footed effort was hacked off the line, with Celtic struggling to make any attacking headway amid a subdued atmosphere, as many fans boycotted the game in a protest against the club’s board.
However, with the final kick in the 97th minute, Junior Adamu converted Sebastian Tounekti’s cutback past Jon McCracken from close range to take the tie to extra-time, and Martin O’Neill’s side struck quickly after the restart.
Tounekti played a give-and-go with Luke McCowan in the box before firing home at the near post, and though Benjamin Nygren missed a great opportunity to make it 3-1, Celtic held on for the win.
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— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 7, 2026
Data Debrief: Celtic get the rub of the green
Dundee were mere seconds away from causing a major upset in the Scottish Cup, but the hosts just about managed to continue their strong run of form under O’Neill.
Since returning for his second spell as interim manager this season in January, O’Neill has yet to be defeated at the helm as the Hoops have won six of their eight games in all competitions under the Northern Irishman.
And despite his last Scottish Premiership goal coming back in October, Tounketi has now scored in back-to-back Scottish Cup matches.
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