Ange Postecoglou gives Rangers premier focus as Celtic boss puts Real Madrid blockbuster on back burner

Celtic Park has been used as a set for a new crime drama in recent weeks but the Parkhead ticket office has been more like a battle scene from Braveheart with the stampede for Champions League tickets.

There’s no doubt Real Madrid coming to town on Tuesday is proper box office but it doesn’t take Taggart to figure out where Ange Postecoglou ’s focus will be this weekend. The Celtic boss is strictly sticking to his script and he’s adamant there’s no need to adjust his picture as he’s fully tuned in to the task in hand.

Real Madrid will be an epic when it arrives but Postecoglou reckons Hoops fans wouldn’t forgive him if he fluffed his lines by taking his eyes off the old foes this lunchtime. Can thoughts drift to the Galacticos? “You know the answer, mate,” Postecoglou said. “Look, that game will be great but I would hate to think what our supporters would think if I somehow was looking at one game 24 hours out from a derby. All our focus is on what happens this weekend. After that we’ll look to Tuesday.”

Postecoglou has derby fever but it has been a different kind of build-up to the first clash of the campaign, with the Champions League draw and the transfer window acting as a buffer. Not for the Celtic gaffer though.

He said: “It might be low key in your household mate but I can assure you I’ve not seen that to be the case. People haven’t failed to mention the fact we’re playing a derby. It’s a significant game.

“They have started the season strongly as well and we’ll have to play to the best of our ability. At the same time we’ve been consistent and improved a little every week, and that’s what we’ll take into this game. We know we are hard to stop when we are at our best.”

There have been plenty of Old Firm