Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is relishing the opportunity of a Hampden Park Derby semi-final as his side gear up to play for the opportunity of a place in the Scottish Cup final this weekend.
The 56-year old has already experienced two trips to the country’s national stadium this season, with both games ending in a Hoops victory but also tightly contested until the very end.
Postecoglou is under no illusion that this Sunday’s game will be any different, as he anticipates a close fixture between the two sides. However, the Celtic manager appears to be relishing the opportunity and is looking forward to sampling the atmosphere.
“It’s a cup semi-final, so there’s meaning on the end of it, there’s consequences on the end of it,” he said, speaking to the club’s website.
“Every cup game you play, if you want to progress, you’ve got to perform on the day, and you’ve got to get the job done on the day.
“There’s no second chances, particularly in a semi-final, so it’s going to be a tight game; it’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere.
“The players know the occasion – I don’t have to disguise or dress it up in any other way than it’s going to be a massive game with massive consequences, and it’s exactly where we want to be.
“It’s going to be a different experience, a bit of a unique one, and again, something to embrace and experience.
“It’s what we all want to be involved in. We want to be involved in these kind of games where, at the end of it, hopefully, you’re making memories that will last beyond your own lifetimes.
“So, that’s the opportunity which exists, and that’s the one we’re looking forward to.”
Since September, Postecoglou and his squad have been almost flawless in their domestic form, and they will be hoping that run of form continues going into Sunday’s crucial victory.
A win could see this side take a step closer to potentially lifting another treble, which would have been unthinkable at the beginning of this season for many supporters.
Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done before that can really be talked about, though, with Ange and the coaching staff getting to work at Lennoxtown this week ahead of the return to Hampden.
