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Rodgers’ quite evolution- only THREE survivors from 2016 Betfred Cup Final win in line to face Aberdeen on Sunday

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Image for Rodgers’ quite evolution- only THREE survivors from 2016 Betfred Cup Final win in line to face Aberdeen on Sunday

Only three of the Celtic side that lifted the 2016 Betfred Cup by beating Aberdeen are likely to start at Hampden on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers hasn’t made wholesale changes player by player things have changed in the 24 months since the Irishman lifted his first major trophy in management.

In the autumn of 2016 Celtic were getting into their stride, extending an unbeaten domestic record that still had almost 12 months to run as they sent out a message across the Scottish game.

Hampden still held bad memories for most supporters, earlier that year semi-finals had been lost to Ross County and the new Rangers club but there was a new air about the management of Rodgers.

Central to the team at that time was Moussa Dembele but as the fans got their heads around a Celtic side playing with just one striker there were a number of attacking options coming off the wings and bursting through from midfield.

By half-time a 2-0 lead had kicked into touch any notion of a ‘Hampden hoodoo’ but no one wold have predicted that it would be the first leg of a double treble.

A treble treble will dominate the build up to Sunday’s match but Rodgers won’t be distracted with all of his energies centred on extending his domination over Derek McInnes.

The Aberdeen boss is hanging onto the ‘dead-rubber’ win at Celtic Park last season, with something very meaningful to play for on Sunday McInnes would be a fool to expect a similar display from the Betfred Cup holders.

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