Celtic captain Scott Brown has insisted that clinching the title against Rangers would be "the icing on the cake" this season.

It has been a campaign of personal satisfaction for the 32-year-old but he has insisted that there is little that would eclipse the possibility of clinching the league title against Rangers in front of the Celtic support.

Celtic folklore celebrates the 1979 May evening when ten men won the league but that is the last time any Parkhead side clinched the title against their rivals, such is the scarcity of opportunity to do so.

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“It [winning the league against Rangers] would be the icing on the cake, to be perfectly honest,” said Brown. “Especially for the fans. Everyone tried to stop it happening – but now we have a chance to do it.

“It happens so rarely, so it does give us an incentive. Especially after our disappointing result at the weekend.

“We really need to show how good we are after a poor performance. We need to make sure that, against Rangers, we just show how good we can be – especially in front of our own fans.”

In contrast to last term, Celtic have been far less fluent than they were in Rodgers’ inaugural Invincibles campaign. Still, though, there has been ease with which they have seen off any challenge from Rangers and the psychological effects of the 3-2 win in March at Ibrox seemed to loom large over the semi-final at Hampden. Hibs effectively served up a lesson in how to play against Celtic with their pressing and aggression against Rodgers’ side with which the Parkhead side seemed unable to counter on Saturday but Brown was bullish in his insistence that few can live with Celtic when they hit their stride.

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“It’s always all about Celtic,” said Brown.

“If we turn up, we play, we reach our best, we beat Rangers – no problem.

“But we need to make sure we do the hard work over the next four or five days leading up to the game.

“I think Rangers will have a point to prove, especially with the semi-final result, the way they played and everything that has been happening since.

“They will want to come after us and try to put us under pressure, make us make mistakes.

“But we’ve got top quality players who can cope with pressure and play through it.

“I always look forward to it."

Brown also believes that the style of football from Hibs has underlined their credentials as the second best team in the country.

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Neil Lennon's side are pushing for second place - they are currently three points behind Rangers and Aberdeen with four league games remaining - but Brown was firm with his response when asked who has been next best to Celtic this season.

"Hibs are," he said. "They came up from the Championship and have shown everyone how good they can be.

"They’ve got a top quality manager, a good young team. If they can keep that together, who knows what they can do?

"They definitely have given us our toughest games this season."

Brendan Rodgers is undefeated in all ten games he has played against Rangers and few would expect the Ibrox side to put up a fight against Celtic this weekend given the meekness of their display at Hampden. Brown, though, has warned that he is taking nothing for granted ahead of Sunday's encounter.

"It’s great. But we need to make sure we keep doing it," he said.

"We’ve got one more game to go against them before the end of the season.

"If we win it, we win the league. And that’s what everyone wants."