Rangers may be close to rekindling their relationship with the Scottish Premiership title but Steven Gerrard admits it was the Europa League which got his blood pumping in midweek.
Gers continued their passionate affair with continental action on Thursday night as they edged out a 4-3 thriller with Royal Antwerp.
It was a night full of ups and downs but Gerrard's men claimed a precious away win which has the Ibrox legions dreaming of a happy ever-after on the road to Gdansk.
Yet the Light Blues' priority this season is to be reunited with an old flame they have not held tight in 10 years as they seek domestic bliss with the Premiership crown.
Victory over Dundee United on Sunday will mean they need just three more wins to cross the finishing line.
But Gerrard insists it is possible to have two loves at the same time as he reflected on Gers' hot and steamy night in Flanders.
"I absolutely loved Thursday night," said the former Champions League winner, whose side welcome Antwerp back to Glasgow for the second leg of their last-32 showdown on Thursday.
"I love competing at this level. It's a proper game of football with two teams full of talented players really going for each other.
"It was an emotional game but that's how I like it. They are the games you want to be involved in.
"The players loved it as well. I could tell they were buzzing with the outcome after the game.
"We realise the Europa League level is going to be different from domestic.
"But the games are coming thick and fast. It's what we are used to in the schedule so we will get on with it and get them ready for the next challenge."
Meanwhile on the green half of Glasgow, the emerging Stephen Welsh says he is acutely aware of the levels required to reach the top.
There was some surprise when boss Neil Lennon brought the 21-year-old defender in for the Old Firm game against Rangers at Parkhead in October, which the visitors won 2-0.
Welsh, who had made his only previous appearance for Celtic against Hamilton last February, was kept in the side for the Europa League game against Zlatan Ibrahimovic's AC Milan a few days later, where he lasted until half-time of the 3-1 defeat.
Welsh also featured against French side Lille in European ties home and away but only since the turn of the year has he became more of a fixture in Lennon's thoughts.
Ahead of the trip to Ross County on Sunday, where Celtic will look to make it six wins in a row, the former Hoops youth player recalled those early games as an education, in particular facing Ibrahimovic.
He said: "The experience was huge. Two massive games in the season (Rangers and AC Milan) although we didn't come out on top in them.
"Especially in the European games, the quality you come up against is world class.
"You look at Ibrahimovic, he is a brilliant player, he doesn't move a lot but the quality shines through in the end.
"So yes, playing in those games gives you a reality check. That's how good these players at European level are.
"But for the manager to put the trust in me to go and play in those games of that calibre was a big confidence boost for me.
"When you get brought into the team and you start winning, it is a big confidence boost, especially when we are keeping clean sheets.
"That's a good few we have got now and we are just trying to build on that in the coming games."
Welsh was back in the team for the win over the 1-0 win over Aberdeen on Wednesday after missing last week's win over St Johnstone with an injury.
