Topi keskinen seeks aberdeen scottish cup glory to break finnish bad luck omen

THE PACEY FINN IS DESPERATE TO SEE THE DONS BEAT CELTIC AND END THEIR 35-YEAR-WAIT TO LIFT THE SCOTTISH CUP 06:00, 21 May 2025 Trophy-seeking Topi Keskinen is desperate for Aberdeen to get

the breaks at Hampden because the only other cup he has lifted was deemed to bring bad luck. The Finland winger will head to Hampden on Saturday looking to upset the odds by sinking Celtic

and helping the Dons land their first Scottish Cup in 35 years. The 22-year-old clinched the Liiga Cup back in 2023 but it is seen as something of a bad luck omen in his homeland. It is

effectively a pre-season tournament and if you are successful in it then you don’t normally have a good domestic campaign. Keskinen’s HJK did buck that trend, after beating AC Oulu 2-1 in

the final, by going on to be crowned Finnish champions. Now the winger is hoping a surprise Hampden triumph can spark a new era of success for Jimmy Thelin’s men. Keskinen explained: “Yeah,

it’s basically a pre-season tournament. So we play against Finnish league teams. It’s like, usually if you win it, you get bad luck for the league. Well, we won the league after that one as

well, but many teams aren’t so lucky. It’s not that big.” Cup fever has hit Aberdeen with 20,000 tickets sold in less than a day. The majority of the Red Army will be travelling south in

hope rather than expectation. Keskinen knows the cups are a big deal in Scotland compared to Finland, where clubs prefer not to go the distance. The attacker explained: “It’s massive. That’s

why we need to give a good performance and show fighting spirit for the fans as well. “They’re travelling every single game that we play. That’s why I didn’t like the cups in Finland that

much, because teams don’t care about them. “I think the cup should be like here in Scotland, where you really want to win it. But in Finland, for example, if you lose the cup, you’re like,

okay, now we have fewer games and we can focus on the league. So that’s the mentality there. I don’t really like that one.” Keskinen has played in Europe and internationally against the

likes of England at Wembley but reckons this final will be the biggest of the lot. “I would say it’s the biggest game,” he claimed. The most important game that I’ve played. “I think so.

I’ve played some big games, actually, but I’ve never been in a Cup Final like this. So I think that’s the biggest game for me.” Aberdeen are looking to lift their first trophy in more than a

decade. It will also be Jimmy Thelin’s first cup final. There is an added incentive for Aberdeen because if they can come out on top then they would also be guaranteed European group stage

football. Keskinen’s girlfriend will boost the Red Army but the rest of his family will be watching back home in Finland. He confirmed: “My girlfriend is coming, but she’s the only one

coming. “My family and friends are not coming over. Nowadays, you can watch (the game) in Finland as well, so they’re not making the trip. Only my girlfriend will come across. “Like I said,

it’s good to have these important games because they are the best experience and all the hype and all that. It’s really nice.” Celtic have had the upper hand over Aberdeen this season and

they need to find a way of redressing the balance. Thelin’s side did get a comeback draw in their early season run but since then Celtic have put them in their place with four wins,

including that bruising 6-0 defeat on their last Hampden visit as Brendan Rodgers’ men eased past them in the League Cup semi-finals on the way to lift the first trophy of their Treble push.

Rodgers even had the luxury of resting a number of key players for the last game at Pittodrie and still came out 5-1 victors. The Dons have lost their last four games and finished the

Premiership campaign in a disappointing fifth place. The one positive for Aberdeen is that in all the games they have created chances. But they haven’t taken them and then have been punished

at the other end. Keskinen admitted: “We need to score when we get our chances in front of goal. It was the same in Helsinki when we played the European games against good teams. “If you

don’t score, they are going to score. Celtic, for example, when we get the chance, we just have to score from there. Because when they get the chance, they are going to score, usually.”

Keskinen’s pace and direct approach will be a major threat to Celtic. Thelin will be looking to use that on the wide open Hampden pitch. He claimed: “Yes, well, the more space, the better,

usually. So I like that one a lot. It’s a special feeling when you play in Hampden as well.” It will be even more special if Aberdeen and Keskinen were to go all the way and lift silverware.

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