Scottish Cup: What to look out for in last four & how to follow

Four Scottish Cup semi-finalists will become two by Sunday evening as Celtic, Aberdeen, Rangers and Hearts feature in a heavyweight Hampden weekend.

From one manager looking to maintain a 100% win rate, to another aiming to avoid a season finale unravelling, here's all you need to know on both ties.

• BBC Scottish Football Podcast - semi-final preview

Can Aberdeen upset Rodgers' winning record?

Despite what's been a pretty miserable campaign, Aberdeen rock up at Hampden on Saturday for the third time.

The Dons dumped out Hibernian in their League Cup semi-final in November before narrowly losing out in the final to Rangers in December.

That was under Barry Robson. Since then, Robson has departed, Neil Warnock replaced him then left after a month, now Peter Leven is back in caretaker charge keeping the seat warm for Jimmy Thelin.

Prior to the appointment of Warnock, whose final game in charge was the quarter-final win over Kilmarnock, Leven oversaw Aberdeen's Premiership draw with Celtic in February.

The 40-year-old resumed his interim role last month and has steadied the ship somewhat by guiding the Dons to two wins, two draws and one defeat in five games.

To avoid that loss column increasing, Leven will have to get the better of a serial Scottish Cup winner in the opposite dugout as Brendan Rodgers returns to Hampden for the first time since winning the 2018-19 League Cup against Aberdeen.

The Celtic boss is unbeaten at the national stadium, has a 100% win rate in 15 Scottish Cup ties, and is eyeing a domestic double with his side now four points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Under Rodgers' watch, Celtic have scored 53 Scottish Cup goals while conceding just six.

The current holders haven't lost to Aberdeen in almost six years - 24 encounters have passed since then.

While Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie misses out through suspension, Rodgers could be boosted by the return of skipper Callum McGregor to a starting place after two outings as a substitute.

Will dangerous Hearts deny Rangers cup double chance?

A break from the Premiership grind is perhaps not a bad thing for Rangers.

Having shown impressive mettle to rescue a home draw with title rivals Celtic, the Ibrox side lost ground with a first ever defeat to Ross County and compounded that slip with a lacklustre share of the spoils at Dundee.

Not since March 2019 have Rangers gone three league games without a victory.

The League Cup is already in the Ibrox trophy room and Hearts were swept aside in the last four on that occasion.

Hearts were the opposition when Rangers prevailed in the 2022 Scottish Cup final.

Rangers also battered the men in maroon 5-0 in late February for a third league win over the Edinburgh team this term.

That drubbing at Ibrox ended a 12-game unbeaten run for Hearts and in the seven matches since there has been just one more defeat.

They have won their last two meetings with Celtic, which should help dispel any inferiority fears, although it was February 2020 when Hearts last managed to beat Rangers - which was in this competition.

Lawrence Shankland continues to bang the goals in, with his tally at 28, while a comfortable third place in the Premiership has allowed manager Steven Naismith to rest and rotate with this game in mind.

Naismith has already said Craig Gordon will start at Hampden and the veteran goalkeeper did look a bit rusty on his return against Livingston.

For Rangers, the big question is will Mohamed Diomande be ready after surgery on his thumb? His presence has been sorely missed in the past two outings.

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