It was a massive occasion in the Scottish football calendar as Celtic claimed the first piece of silverware this season with a win over Rangers.
Ange Postecoglou's men continued their relentless pursuit of honours since the Australian's arrival by keeping the Viaplay Cup in the Celtic Park trophy cabinet thanks to Kyogo Furuhashi's two goals, but it was different story on the blue side of Glasgow. Michael Beale was left to wonder what could have been after Alfredo Morelos pulled a goal back in the second half, but they couldn't rescue an equaliser.
However, was the stage already set for Celtic's cup final victory in the pre-match press conferences? The two bosses took very different approaches in the midst of the pressure cooker in Glasgow with derby day rapidly approaching. Postecoglou has been to the World Cup and lifted trophies across the globe, but he remained determined to get the message across to his players that the Old Firm showdown wasn't just any other game.
The experienced boss claimed he learned early in his career that managers should not play down a "big task" to the players in the pre-match build-up. Postecoglou insisted he wanted his players to make sure his team were well prepared for the challenge of the cauldron at the national stadium.
Quizzed on the pressure before the game, he said: "I enjoy it and it is why we are involved in the game. When I started I wanted to be a successful coach and you can only be a successful coach if you win things.
"You enjoy that part of it but for me, it is more about making sure the players are prepared for the challenge that lies before them at the weekend. That's my role and the rewards if you are successful, everyone enjoys it together but in the build-up to it what is important is to make sure our focus and training are really good and to make sure that everyone is in the right frame of mind for a big task.
Beale took a very different approach to the final, insisting that success would not be the defining factor in their season. He insisted he has "bigger things" in mind over earning bragging rights and taking the trophy back to Govan.
The Rangers boss said: "Of course we want to win the League Cup but there is bigger things in my mind after that and it is part of ticking a box in terms of where I ultimately want to take us.
"After this weekend, we have a lot of work to do regardless of the outcome. This is a one-off game, a cup final between two rivals and both teams will go head-to-head. But come Monday morning, whatever the outcome, I still have a big job to do.
"We have a number of contract situations in terms of where we want to take the club making us stronger moving forward. The focus on that will return on Monday morning regardless of the result this weekend."
The pre-match mentality appeared to seep into the performance, with Celtic controlling the first half of the game at the national stadium with an intensity that has become Postecoglou's trademark. Beale on the other hand had to shake up his shellshocked side at half-time, with main signs of life coming after 70 minutes when Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell breathed new life into the side.
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