The night before was remembered for all the wrong reasons on the morning after. Now that a couple of days have passed, Rangers must banish the hangover for once and for all.
In that regard, Sunday provides the perfect opportunity for Michael Beale and his side. As sore as their defeat to PSV Eindhoven in midweek was, there is nothing quite like an Old Firm win to soothe the pain and to provide a fresh impetus to a campaign that has yet to spark into life.
Rangers shot themselves in the foot as their Champions League dreams turned into a nightmare in the Philips Stadion. Now they simply cannot afford to compound the mistake by allowing Celtic to extend their lead and grasp the momentum in the Premiership title race.
The visit of their Old Firm rivals will focus minds on the job in hand and ensure events in Eindhoven are forgotten about. For Ryan Jack, the next game is always the most important one.
“Yes, I think it is,” Jack said when asked if the Old Firm fixture was the perfect occasion for Rangers to bounce back after their defeat in Eindhoven. “As players we need to look at it that way. There is no better game than a full house against your rivals.
“It is a great chance for us to bounce back. There was obviously a lot said about us as a group after Wednesday night. It is important for us to respond.
“It is great to test ourselves in Europe but the league is the most important.
“It is good for the fans to experience away days but the league is our bread and butter.
“It is important after Europe if we don't play well or take a sore one we don't carry a hangover into the weekend.
“In the past we have been pretty good at that. It will be no different this week.
“For us, the focus has to be on ourselves. We can’t get too far ahead.
“You can’t listen to the outside noise and what others are saying.
“I believe that if we work hard in training and listen to the game plan we can win.”
Victory is almost non-negotiable for Rangers. The result will not be decisive either way in terms of the title race but there is no doubt that Beale needs a performance and a result to quieten his critics and win over some of his doubters at Ibrox.
This fixture will be the first taste of the derby for several members of the newly assembled squad and the baptism of fire offers the chance for heroes to be made at a time when so many have their own questions to answer.
Celtic will have their own band of first timers within their ranks come kick-off. With a partisan home crowd behind them, there are no excuses and there is no margin for error.
“Maybe the home PSV and Servette games will give them an indication of the atmosphere and what it will be like,” Jack said of those who have yet to experience the Old Firm cauldron. “It is important as players we respond to the crowd and start on the front foot.
“You don't really notice there are no away fans. You just really focus on the job in hand.
“It is important we don't get caught up in how electric it will be. We ned to focus on our game plan.
“I hope it will be a tough one for [the Celtic debutants]. I’m sure whoever is playing in the game, whether that is for us or Celtic, they will have played in big matches before across Europe.
“We have nine new players and a lot of them have played for top clubs in top leagues.
“They will all have been used to big atmospheres though I have always said this game is special.
“It is up to us as a team and a squad that every single one of us is ready.
“The atmosphere will be crazy but you can’t allow yourself to get too caught up in it.”
The reaction to events on Wednesday evening may have taken some of those who are new to Rangers by surprise. There is little that can catch a player of Jack’s standing and stature unawares these days.
The 31-year-old knows how to handle the highs and lows that come with life at Ibrox and the approach once again this week has been to keep calm and carry on as the focus has shifted to Celtic.
Jack said: “Everyone I am connected to lives and breathes this club. That is family and friends and everybody else.
“I try just to come in, do my work, go home and spend time with my wife and kids.
“I try to block everything else out and not speak to too many people outside the building.”
