Celtic spurred on towards title defence

Adrenalin will not be in short supply at Ibrox tomorrow. An Old Firm encounter is overflowing with it, but the natural chemical that will be coursing through the veins of the Celtic players is something money cannot buy.

The delight and euphoria at securing the club's first European final in 33 years on Thursday by beating Boavista in the Uefa Cup semi-finals will not have subsided. Even though it will be only 58 hours since their plane touched down from Portugal, Celtic will find that pride will overtake tiredness.

Martin O'Neill's side are not the type to relinquish anything, as they proved by staging the late victory in Oporto, where Henrik Larsson's 40th goal of the season provided the result they craved. So, even though the odds on retaining their Scottish Premier League championship for a third successive season are becoming slimmer by the week, they plan to use their European heroics as the launch pad for a final title defence.

Put simply, if Celtic lose, the title can be gift-wrapped for Rangers. If Celtic win, however, the margin of error might come down again to leave Alex McLeish's side nervous and exposed for the last five games.

Celtic's spirit was typified by Paul Lambert yesterday. The Celtic captain limped off in the first half of the Boavista match with an ankle injury, yet is eager to play a role at Ibrox.

Any pain Lambert felt had evaporated. Still on cloud nine after the success, he reflected: "I never felt that Boavista were going to threaten us too much. They seemed happy to sit on the 0-0 and they never went looking for the goal.

"If you knock on that door often enough then eventually you get there and when it's Henrik Larsson he is likely to put it away. It was brilliant when he did. Now we have given ourselves a fantastic opportunity to go all the way and we have nothing to fear now.

"We know Porto [Celtic's final opponents] are a good side and we will show them plenty of respect, but it's a one- off and anything can happen. It was a fantastic trip for the players, the fans and the management and we have earned it after our performances."

The Scotland international midfielder won the Champions' League with Borussia Dortmund in 1997. He is relishing the chance to get his hands on the Uefa Cup and has told his team-mates that it will be a not-to-be-forgotten experience.

"Even after we beat Manchester United it didn't really sink in," he said. "It's the week before the final when it hits you. That's when you know what you're in. The tension builds up as the days pass and you get more and more excited the closer you get. When you are finally into it it is unforgettable.

"And then? If you go on and win it, then oh my God. It will be great to go there as captain and lift the Cup, but it's not the biggest thing. It's not about who gets their hands on the trophy, it's about everyone getting to share the moment. It was great to go abroad and make it to one final and it's great to do it with a Scottish club."

Lambert said the Rangers game had not even intruded on Celtic's thoughts until yesterday's training session. "Sunday? It can take care of itself," he said. We will just enjoy this one for now before we think about the next game."

McLeish paid tribute to Celtic's achievement, saying: "I congratulate Martin O'Neill for what he's done and Celtic are an inspiration to us all. They have shown that Scottish teams can make an impact – and it reflects well on us, that we have kept them in our shadow all season."