Ross County manager Don Cowie is rallying his squad to seize a historic opportunity this Sunday, as the Staggies prepare to host Celtic in Dingwall.
He emphasised the importance of aiming for a breakthrough result that could see them become the first Scottish team to take points off the Hoops rather than be intimidated by the reigning champions.
Celtic enter this match on the back of a disappointing 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, yet their domestic form remains formidable.
The Glasgow giants have won all six of their Scottish Premiership matches this season and have impressively kept a clean sheet throughout, demonstrating their dominance in the league.
Cowie is keen to dismiss any idea that his team might approach the game with a mindset of it being a “free hit.”
Instead, he insists that every match is an opportunity to challenge themselves against one of the best teams in Scotland. He believes that with the right mentality and performance, his players can be a threat to Brendan Rodgers' team.
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“There’s no such thing as a free hit,” said the County boss. “We understand it’s a challenge. They’ve been in excellent form domestically and in Europe, bar Tuesday. But it’s a challenge we need to embrace and look forward to.
“They’ve scored a lot of goals and they’ve not been breached in terms of conceding a goal in the league but we always believe we can hurt the opposition we play against and score goals. That’s the opportunity that comes to us on Sunday.
“I think your mindset has to change when you come against a team like Celtic.
“They’ve got threats all over the pitch, they’ve got a clear identity in the way they play, they’re all in sync in terms of their movement, so you have to have top concentration levels.
“You might think you’ve nullified something within their team but there will be another aspect that they’re also very good at. It’s a real challenge but it’s one you’ve got to enjoy and embrace.”
