What Pele and Neymar can teach Celtic about title race squeaky bum time - Tony Haggerty

I'm a Diego Armando Maradona man myself but we won't split hairs on that score.

Anyway, I digress. Success is also about handling pressure.

The narrative in the Scottish Premiership this weekend will be dominated by the P-word.

P for Pressure.

Normally a trip to Dingwall in the Highlands wouldn't represent anything significant in the grand scheme of things.

However, that script has been flipped on its head after Celtic lost for the first time in 34 domestic matches on Sunday against Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final.

Ange Postecoglou's men face Ross County on Sunday hoping to preserve their six-point lead at the summit of the Scottish Premiership.

READ MORE: Why Celtic's Dingwall trip takes on new importance after Rangers Hampden defeat - Alison McConnell

Ironically Dingwall has been the scene of a seismic shift in the race for the league flag already this season.

Anthony Ralston bagged a priceless 97th-minute winner in a crucial 2-1 league win back in December that prevented Postecoglou's men from slipping six points behind Rangers at that particular juncture.

Fast forward to February and County eked out a last gasp 3-3 draw with the Ibrox side as 10-man Celtic snatched a 1-0 win over Dundee United courtesy of Liel Abada's injury-time goal later the same day.

That cut the deficit at the top of the table to just two points before the two Glasgow giants clashed in Paradise.

Celtic battered Rangers 3-0 to go top of the table and have not looked back since.

A 2-1 win at Ibrox earlier this month saw that advantage stretch to six points and that's how the picture remains with five split fixtures to come

READ MORE: Why Celtic's Ibrox victory was a moment of consecration for Ange Postecoglou - Kevin McKenna

Yet after Sunday's reverse, the spectre of pressure appears to be hovering over Celtic like a praying mantis.

Yes, Rangers boss Giovanni Van Bronckhorst would trade places with Postecoglou in a heartbeat, of course he would.

But Dingwall has already been the venue for one dramatic twist in the race for the Premiership league plot this season.

READ MORE: The late Celtic goals that have propelled Ange Postecoglou to verge of Premiership glory

Malky Mackay’s Staggies have been a wonderful watch this season.

Celtic and Rangers have both struggled in the Highlands and that's a testament to the job the former Cardiff boss has done.

County have come from rock bottom of the table and smashed into the top six with the powerful and pacy winger Regan Charles-Cook leading the charge.

If it wasn't for Postecoglou's domestic success we would likely be discussing Mackay as a potential Scottish Premiership manager of the year. He certainly deserves an honourable mention for his impeccable work.

The spotlight will be firmly on his side to see if they can throw a spanner in the title race or if Celtic can hold their nerve.

Rangers are clinging to the hope that Scottish football might bear witness to another 'Helicopter Sunday' style comeback.

The Europa League semi-finalists will face off against Motherwell at Fir Park some 24 hours before the clash in Dingwall.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men have the chance to whittle the gap down to three points and swing the pendulum of pressure back into Celtic's court.

There's that P-word again.

Postecoglou is well aware that it will become intense should Rangers keep up their end of the bargain at the weekend and his side slip up.

It would be as Sir Alex Ferguson famously said: 'Squeaky-bum time' for the remaining four games.

That's a big if.

Celtic simply cannot afford to drop points. The manager knows it. The players know it. The Celtic faithful know it.

If the Hoops win they will still be six points clear with four games to play.

By seeing off the Staggies, Postecoglou's men would then have to drop seven points in their last four games of the campaign - a scenario that at best would be deemed highly unlikely.

They also have the cushion of goal difference which currently stands at 19 in their favour.

The odds are very much with Celtic.

The Scottish Cup semi-final might have seen Postecoglou's men wobble slightly but his team did the hardest, most important part earlier this month by going to Ibrox and winning 2-1.

They gave themselves breathing space in the process by recording a priceless victory in terms of the championship race.

Now Celtic and Postecoglou need to breathe.

Of course, it might prove to be slightly harder this weekend, especially with the hot breath of Rangers on their necks.

That's when the pressure cooker can really ramp up and choke the life out of you - if you allow yourselves to feel the heat.

All eyes will be on how Celtic react to last Sunday's loss.

Conversely, it's actually Rangers who are the team under the most pressure.

The Ibrox side need something approaching a football miracle again to retain their Premiership crown.

If Celtic win this game they will take a massive stride towards wrapping green and white ribbons around the Premiership trophy.

Having started with a football quote from one famous Brazilian legend of the past.

Here's another from a Brazilian star of the present.

It was Neymar Jnr who coined this phrase: "There is no pressure when you are making a dream come true."

This is why to all intents and purposes, Sunday's outing in Dingwall has strayed into title decider territory.

Pressure? What pressure?

It is a case of business as usual for Celtic and Postecoglou.

It is not the time for partying, disco balls and dancing around and popping champagne corks ... yet.

Rapper and celebrity Celtic supporter Snoop Dogg will have to wait a while longer to party.

Although a Celtic victory against Ross County would take Ange Postecogou and his team within touching distance of making their title dream come true.