Celtic head into Sunday's Old Firm derby with an unbeaten domestic record this season, though their campaign has not been without its dramatic twists heading into the meeting with Rangers.
Martin O'Neill's side have claimed all six of their Scottish Premiership fixtures, netting 14 goals while conceding just three, numbers that on the surface suggest a side firing on all cylinders. The reality has been more uneven. Celtic laboured to a narrow home win over Dundee in their opening match before finding their rhythm with emphatic victories away at Kilmarnock and Dundee United.
European competition brought both euphoria and heartbreak. Celtic looked to be cruising toward the Champions League league phase after thrashing LASK 3-0 in the first leg of their play-off tie, and Callum McGregor's early strike in the return fixture in Austria appeared to put the tie beyond doubt. What followed instead was one of the most dramatic collapses in the club's recent history, as LASK stormed back to win 5-1 on the night and progress 5-4 on aggregate.
Since that shock exit, Celtic have regrouped to win their next four league outings, though a slender victory at St Johnstone in midweek offered little reassurance, despite O'Neill fielding a heavily rotated lineup for that fixture.
Ahead of the derby, former Celtic captain Scott Brown emphasised how crucial an early goal can be in setting the tone at Ibrox. "As a Celtic player, you want to silence that crowd early doors," Brown said. "You want to make sure that you keep the ball, you dictate, and if Celtic get an early goal it becomes a nervous Ibrox. The big [derby] is always the first game."
Rangers manager Derek McInnes acknowledged the importance of harnessing home support to unsettle Celtic. "I think we've got to bring the crowd with us," he said. "You're not going to play Celtic and dominate the game for 90 minutes. We'll have spells, they'll have spells, it's just the way it is."
McInnes added that channelling the energy of the Ibrox crowd would be vital. "I think it's important that we tap into having that 50,000 behind us and be behind the players, support them, have their backs, not be on their backs and really make it as tough for Celtic as possible," he said. "There's been a lot of frustration over a period of time at the club and it's up to us to try and show that we're going to deliver something a bit different."
For his part, O'Neill recognised the psychological edge that comes with taking an early lead in such a heated contest. "I suppose if you get in front in the game, that makes them anxious," the Celtic boss said. "Talking about getting in front and getting in front are two different things. The crowd will be right behind their team, which you would expect."
O'Neill remained pragmatic about the scale of the challenge his side faces at a raucous Ibrox. "We just do our best. We know that we're up against a very fine side. We're up against a crowd that can make a difference," he said. "I'd be delighted to be celebrating something in the game."
With Celtic still searching for the kind of dominant, convincing performance that matches their results on paper, and Rangers desperate to use home advantage to disrupt their rivals' rhythm, Sunday's fixture promises to be a tense and pivotal early-season examination for both clubs.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.