Four months after a devastating League Cup final loss, Celtic and St Mirren are set for a dramatic rematch at Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup semi-final this Sunday.
In December, St Mirren delivered a stunning 3-1 victory over Celtic to claim only their second League Cup trophy. Marcus Fraser's early header and Jonah Ayunga's second-half double sealed the historic win while Celtic's then-manager Wilfried Nancy watched helplessly from the sidelines during his brief 33-day tenure.
Now, the circumstances have shifted dramatically. Nancy was dismissed after just eight matches, replaced by interim manager Martin O'Neill who has steadied the ship and kept Celtic in title contention despite inconsistent performances.
"If we could win the game, it definitely would have a positive effect," O'Neill said. "No question about that. Quite the opposite I suppose really, it could have a poor effect on us. But we're going all out to try and win the game."
St Mirren also face changes, having lost manager Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen in March. The Paisley side now seeks what would be a legendary cup double against Scottish football giants.
Celtic's path to this semi-final was anything but straightforward. They survived a tense penalty shootout against rivals Rangers after a goalless 120 minutes at Ibrox, managing just one shot throughout the entire match.
Sunday's winner will face Dunfermline Athletic in the final, adding another layer of significance to this high-stakes rematch that promises redemption for one side and continued glory for the other.