Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou insists he's relishing the "noise" surrounding next Sunday's Viaplay Cup final clash with Rangers.
The Hoops are on course to clinch the Scottish Premiership title for the second consecutive season after they maintained their nine-point lead with a 4-0 rout of Aberdeen on Saturday. Now attention has well and truly turned towards the Hampden Park showpiece and Postecoglou believes these are the occasions that you look towards when you are at Celtic.
"It's why you want to be involved here," he told BBC Sportsound. "Big games are a consequence and there is a trophy on the line. We will enjoy the week and there will obviously be a fair bit of noise around it but that is why you want to be involved in the game, and at the same time the lads understand that we prepare ourselves in the right way and the right manner to be the best we can be on the day and that is what we will do."
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Postecoglou also admits that facing their fierce Glasgow rivals in the final does add to the storyline but he would never take any opponent for granted. Both side's go into the match on red-hot form with Rangers unbeaten in 13 games under Michael Beale, while Celtic have scored a whopping 31 goals during their last eight games in all competitions and only conceded two.
He said: "It all adds to the storyline I guess. It's a cup final and you don't dismiss one because of the opponent you have. Every trophy is hard earned and you don't take them for granted.
"As you say it's the two form teams in the competition, two good footballing sides and it will be a cracking atmosphere. The only place you want to be is smack bang in the middle of it."
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