 The match took place atHampden Park | |||||||
| Event | 2022–23 Scottish Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 3 June 2023 (2023-06-03) | ||||||
| Venue | Hampden Park,Glasgow | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Jota | ||||||
| Referee | John Beaton | ||||||
| Attendance | 47,247 | ||||||
←2022 2024 → | |||||||
The2023 Scottish Cup final was the final match of the2022–23 Scottish Cup, the 138th edition of Scotland's most prestigious knockoutfootball competition. It was contested byCeltic andInverness Caledonian Thistle atHampden Park, Glasgow, on 3 June 2023.[1]
The 2023 final was a record 60th Scottish Cup final appearance for Celtic, while it was only Inverness Caledonian Thistle's second final appearance, having won the cup in2015.[2] It was the first time that the clubs had met in the final, but the eighth time they had met at any stage of the competition, the most recent meeting taking place in the fifth round in the2016–17 season. It was also the first time since 2015 that teams in different divisions had contested the final, not including the2020 final, whereHeart of Midlothian were in the unique position of being aPremiership side when the competition was suspended due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, but aChampionship side when it resumed midway through the2020–21 season.
The winners were due to enter the2023–24 UEFA Europa League play-off round, however, as Celtic had already qualified for the2023–24 UEFA Champions League, the team placed third in thePremiership (Aberdeen) entered the Europa League instead.[3]
| Celtic | Round | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Score | Opposition | Score | |
| N/A | 3rd | Stirling Albion (H) | 3–2 | |
| Greenock Morton (H) | 5–0 | 4th | Queen's Park (H) | 0–2[4] |
| St Mirren (H) | 5–1 | 5th | Livingston (A) | 3–0 |
| Heart of Midlothian (A) | 3–0 | QF | Kilmarnock (H) | 2–1 |
| Rangers (N) | 1–0 | SF | Falkirk (N) | 3–0 |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) =Neutral venue | ||||
Inverness Caledonian Thistle entered the Scottish Cup at the third round, securing their place in the fourth round by defeatingStirling Albion 3–2 atCaledonian Stadium.[5] Celtic entered at the fourth round, with a 5–0home victory overGreenock Morton ensuring their progression to the fifth round.[6] Inverness Caledonian Thistle were eliminated from the competition after a 2–0 defeat toQueen's Park in their rescheduled tie,[7] however, they were reinstated after Queen's Park were found to have fielded an ineligible player.[8] In the fifth round, Celtic beatSt Mirren 5–1 in Glasgow, with a flurry of late goals in the match,[9] while Inverness Caledonian Thistle defeatedPremiership sideLivingston 3–0 atAlmondvale Stadium.[10]
Caley Thistle also faced Premiership opposition in the quarter-finals, beatingKilmarnock 2–1 in Inverness,[11] while Celtic travelled toTynecastle Park to faceHeart of Midlothian, where they ran out 3–0 winners.[12] The semi-finals were both played atHampden Park, with Inverness Caledonian Thistle facingFalkirk on 29 April and Celtic taking onholdersRangers the next day. In a repeat of the2015 final, Caley Thistle defeated Falkirk, with goals fromBilly Mckay andDaniel MacKay taking the club to only the second Scottish Cup final in its history.[13] They would also become the first and only team to have made the final, having been eliminated from the competition in the same season. On 30 April, Celtic beat Rangers, withJota scoring the only goal of the game.[14]
          Celtic |     Inverness Caledonian Thistle |
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees: | Match rules[16]
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BBC Scotland andViaplay Sports broadcast the final; this was the fifth season of a six-year deal in the United Kingdom to broadcast Scottish Cup matches.[17]
