Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou wants his team to make the most of every minute of their first leg against AZ Alkmaar.

Postecoglou's side have scored 16 goals in their last four matches and six of them have come inside the first half hour of those matches.

The Greek-born Australian urged his players to come flying out of the blocks and he is working on getting them to a level where they can maintain the tempo for the full match.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's Europa League play-off at Parkhead, Postecoglou said: "I talk about cornerstones of our game and that's a big part of it. I just think, you know what, if we are going to bring 60,000 into the ground, they want to see us going for it from the first minute.

"There's no point taking 10 minutes to get into a game, or after 10 minutes take our foot off the pedal. I just don't think that's what football is about.

"We have 90 minutes, 95 minutes, to do as many things as we possibly can and we don't want to waste a moment of it.

"With that kind of energy and that kind of intensity and commitment to something, it makes you a formidable opponent, and that's what we want to be.

"We don't want to be a team where we get our noses in front and all of a sudden we want to sit back and protect something, or fall behind and all of a sudden change gear and go for it, because the question everyone will be asking is 'why didn't you go for it from the start?'

"It's just something I believe in, it's the way we train and it's the way I want us to play.

"It takes its toll, for sure, on players and again that's why we are working hard to build a strong squad because there is no way we can maintain that sort of intensity and tempo over a long period of time with a small group of players."

Israeli winger Liel Abada will be back for the visit of the Dutch side after missing two matches, although Ryan Christie remains on the sidelines.

Leigh Griffiths was also back on the bench for Sunday's 3-2 win over Hearts and Postecoglou feels having more options will help Celtic maintain their tempo.

"Liel will definitely help and James McCarthy got 20 minutes at the weekend, which I think will help him as well," he said. "He has had some extra training sessions.

"You saw on Sunday the intensity dropped a bit in the last 20-25 minutes and, once the intensity drops, the opposition has the chance to get back in the game, particularly if they have made substitutions as well.

"Whereas if you look at games before that, subs have either scored or assisted, and that's what we are looking for. So having Liel particularly, James, guys that can come in and make an impact, not just maintain standards, will definitely make a difference."

Postecoglou added: "We just want to keep building the momentum we have gained so far. We have seen improvements in every performance and this is another chance for that, particularly at home.

"We are having a nice stretch of home games where if you can build belief, not only within the team but with our supporters, then it gives you some real good momentum.

"If we keep improving our performance, as we have been, even in little areas, then we give ourselves a chance of success."