Clinical Celtic strolled to the League Cup final with a devastating 6-0 dismantling of Jimmy Thelin's Aberdeen at Hampden Park.

Japanese winger Daizen Maeda claimed a hat-trick on a day when Brendan Rodgers's side were at their rampant best.

First-half goals from Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi and Maeda had Brendan Rodgers's men on easy street by the interval as Celtic blitzed the Reds with a three-goal burst inside 11 minutes.

The route started on 29 minutes when £11 million Arne Engels swung over a corner kick from the left, which was so on the money that Carter-Vickers just stretched his neck muscles to bury an easy header from inside the six-yard box. 

Four minutes later Celtic were two to the good as the champions countered from an Aberdeen corner. Maeda raced through on goal after latching onto Nicolas Kuhn's through ball and held the ball up brilliantly to tee up Kyogo who smashed the ball into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

It was effectively over as a contest on 40 minutes when Kuhn played an exquisite defence-splitting pass into the Maeda's oath and he curled a beauty home to make it 3-0.

Four minutes after the restart it was 4-0 when Kuhn dribbled from inside his own half and advanced into the Aberdeen box only to see his effort saved by Mitov but Daizen Maeda was on hand to tap in at the back post.

Just before the hour mark it was 5-0 as Engels shunted the ball into Kuhn and the German winger made no mistake as he curled the ball in off the crossbar.

There was still time for Maeda to grab his hat-trick and he duly obliged with a tap-in at the back post after some scintillating build-up play which was poetry in motion.

Aberdeen hadn't just tasted defeat for the first time this season. The Dons had been systematically ground into the Hampden turf.

It was the definition of rip-roaring, free-scoring, never-boring Glasgow Celtic.

Rodgers's side will return to Hampden Park on Sunday, December 15 and will face Rangers or Motherwell in the first final showpiece of the season.

It won't matter who they play, Celtic will be the red-hot favourites to lift the trophy.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is head and shoulders the best defender in the country

The American international is so back. Carter-Vickers exuded coolness and calmness at the back of the pack and beside his compatriot Auston Trusty they showed Ester Sokler who was boss. It was the Yank who got his head to Engels's pinpoint corner kick delivery from the left. There is a general rule of thumb that the Celtic supporters breathe more easily whenever Carter-Vickers assumes his natural position. He didn't put a foot wrong alongside his compatriot. On this sort of irresistible form, there is not a central defender in the country that can lay a glove on him. He was substituted just after the hour mark and he came off the field to a rapturous reception.

Daizen Maeda terrorised Nicky Devlin and got real joy down the flank

A deadly double from Maeda who gave Devlin a torrid time. The Reds defender will have twisted blood as the Japanese winger corkscrewed him into the Hampden Park turf. The last thing Devlin would have wanted to see was a rampant Maeda after the physical exertions of Wednesday night's victory at Pittodrie over Rangers. Maeda finished off a superb sweeping move following Kuhn's sumptuous pass inside the Reds defence. It was Maeda at the double when he was on hand to tap home the fourth after Kuhn had seen his shot spilt by Dimitar Mitov.

Alex Valle seemed to love the national stadium

The Spaniard and Barcelona graduate of La Masia Academy possesses real football talent. He is growing into the Celtic jersey on a game-by-game basis. Nothing fazed him on his biggest domestic test of the season so far. He passed it with flying colours and then some. It will be interesting how Valle continues to thrive, grow, progress and develop under Rodgers. If I were Celtic I'd be checking the small print of the contract as well as conducting negotiations now on a deal to sign him permanently come May. 

Kyogo always scores at Hampden - doesn't he? That's six and counting

You can never write off the Japanese talisman. He is another player who thrives on the Hampden Park atmosphere. He was always going to get in on the scoring act. That's six goals and counting at the national stadium for the Celtic striker. His link-up play was excellent as he dragged the Reds defence all over the place. The attacker has had his critics this season but there is something about the Mount Florida bowl that makes him come alive. Aberdeen just couldn't handle Kyogo all evening. Coming to think of it they couldn't get to grips with Kuhn or Maeda either. Kyogo is back in business as he served up his sixth of the best at Hampden and sent Aberdeen back up north to think again. This was the vintage Kyogo of old and the Celtic fans and Rodgers will be delighted to see it.

King Kuhn

What a player Kuhn is turning out to be for Celtic. He produced another goal and an assist to add to his outrageous stats this season which stands at 7 goals and 9 assists and counting. That's an astonishing 16 goal contributions and we haven't even got the tinsel out yet. The German is loving life at Celtic and Aberdeen had no answer to his electric pace as he dazzled down the right-hand side. It was Kuhn's who threaded the camel through the eye of the needle to set up Maeda for his first strike. Kuhn saved the best until last as he cracked in an absolute belter which flew in off the underside of the crossbar to make it 5-0. At this rate, Kuhn could be crowned King as he is the earliest contender for player of the year in recent memory.