Callum McGregor has made it clear what Celtic need to do at Ibrox on Sunday.
For McGregor, though, there is little point looking beyond the first game.
He said: (Celtic FC YouTube), “Yeah, like you said, unique game, unique circumstances. Obviously, winner takes all. So you need to do a lot right. It’s cup football, regardless of the opponent.
“You need to turn up and do everything you can to win the game. So we know that, we know it’s played to a finish.
“We have to go there and do a lot right, impose our style and tempo in the game, be as aggressive as we can be and hopefully we’ll finish with the result that we want.”
The captain has been through these occasions before, though, and believes Celtic cannot allow the atmosphere to dictate how they play.
He said: “Yeah, that’s it. You have to commit, you have to be Celtic, be on the front foot, pass the ball, don’t necessarily get sucked into the game in terms of the occasion and the atmosphere of the game, which is obviously easier said than done.
“But any time that we have done that and managed to impose our style, generally we’ve come away with good results.”
McGregor also had a message for those Celtic supporters watching from elsewhere on Sunday.
He added: “Obviously, we’re disappointed that we don’t have any supporters in, but they can rest assured that the players know what the game means. They know what it means to them and to the football club.
“So we go there, we have everything to try and win the game.”
Celtic’s recent visits to Ibrox have been tight, with the last four finishing a draw, although one ended in a Scottish Cup penalty shootout win.
McGregor believes those games have shown that Celtic can handle the occasion.
He said: “Yes, it’s a difficult place to go.
“The home crowds are generally pretty important in these games and I think it just brings into focus that the players can go and handle the occasion.”
The midfielder also pointed back to Celtic’s previous visit, when they recovered after going 2-0 down.
“You think probably the last one, when you go 2-0 down and you don’t necessarily start the game well, but the bounce-back ability at that point to take stock at half-time and then come out and actually, again, play the game that you want to do and how you want it to look.
“You then start to gain control of the game and then you find yourself unlucky not to win it at the end.”
There is unlikely to be much between the sides again on Sunday, and McGregor knows Celtic will have to make the most of whatever chances come their way.
He said: “You need your players to turn up on the day as well and you don’t get too many moments generally, so when they come you have to take them.
“But it is managing everything. It’s managing the game, the atmosphere, control and balance in the big moments.”
McGregor’s point is that Celtic cannot spend the afternoon reacting to Rangers or the crowd.
He wants the Hoops to play the game on their own terms, move the ball quickly and make the most of the chances that come. With no away support inside Ibrox, that responsibility falls even more heavily on the players.
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