Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is relishing the high-stakes nature of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final showdown with Rangers.
The two Glasgow sides meet at Hampden in a match that is likely to go a long way to deciding whether the Hoops win a domestic treble or the Gers – who are 13 points behind their city rivals in the cinch Premiership – can win a trophy this season.
Celtic lost to Rangers at the same stage of last season’s competition, but their manager is looking forward to another huge match for his team, with the winner of the tie between lower-league pair Inverness and Falkirk awaiting the victors in the final.
“It’s a cup semi-final and it’s going to a be real good game with everything on it in terms of both teams knowing the consequences of not being successful on the day,” Postecoglou told Celtic TV.
“It’ll have everything that you normally expect from a cup semi-final and it’s one we’re looking forward to.
“At this time of the year they are all big games and they are games you would rather be involved in rather than sitting at home watching them, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Celtic go into the last-four clash having dropped points in the league for the first time since January after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell last weekend.
Although no damage was done in their quest for the title as Rangers lost to Aberdeen the following day, Postecoglou admits his team must learn from Saturday’s setback.
“We were disappointed with the game on the weekend, both in performance and obviously in the result, but there’s a learning moment there for us,” he said.
“And we’ve been pretty good at learning along the way while winning games of football, which is not easy, because it’s easy to let things just roll along.
“So when you get an opportunity like the weekend when we didn’t do things as well as we wanted to, it’s a chance for us to improve that, within the context, though, of understanding that the group has been outstanding for a very long time.”
