Morgan Rogers hit a superb hat-trick in front of England manager Thomas Tuchel to help Aston Villa into the last-16 of the Champions League as Ollie Watkins experienced the strangest of nights.
Villa secured an eighth-placed finish in the league phase thanks to this victory and Atalanta’s draw at Barcelona, which they had to wait for confirmation of after the final whistle.
But it should have been much easier as, despite scoring, Watkins missed a penalty and squandered a number of chances. Quite what Arsenal, whose £60 million bid was rejected, would have made of it is anyone’s guess.
Watkins could have easily finished the night with five goals and yet his one, in the second half, put Villa back on course to climb back into the top eight.
Rogers had fired Villa into an early two-goal lead before Adam Idah drew Celtic level. The forward then netted his third right at the end to finally spare the home side’s nerves.
Villa’s preparation for a huge night was not helped by Watkins and Jhon Duran both being the subject of approaches from Arsenal and Al-Nassr on the eve of the game.
But the home side made the perfect start and it was Rogers who set a Champions League record by becoming the first player to score twice in the first five minutes in the competition.
The opening goal came in the third minute, as Youri Tielemans, who played for Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City, set Jacob Ramsey away down the left and he crossed perfectly for Rogers to score.
It was the forward’s first-ever Champions League goal and it only took a couple of minutes for him to net his second. This time Watkins played the ball to him 20 yards from goal and Rogers’ shot took a deflection on its way past Kasper Schmeichel.
The last time Villa fans had needed to keep a close eye on other results was on the final day of the Premier League season in 2020, when they avoided relegation by drawing at West Ham United.
Back then, it was Watford and Bournemouth Villa were worried about. But fast-forward five years and supporters needed their phones and radios to check the results of Barcelona, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.
Injuries to Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings left Villa short in defence. Midfielder Boubacar Kamara filled in at centre-back next to Ezri Konsa, with Lamare Bogarde starting in midfield.
There was a further blow for Emery on the half-an-hour mark as Matt Cash was forced off with an injury, which meant Bogarde moved to right-back and boyhood Celtic fan John McGinn was sent on in midfield.
Just had Villa had not coped with the loss of Mings against West Ham on Sunday, the enforced withdrawal of Cash threw them off track.
One of McGinn’s first touches was to deflect a Greg Taylor pass into the path of Idah, who beat Emi Martinez from close range to reduce the deficit to one goal and two minutes later Idah stunned Villa Park by pulling Celtic level.
This time it was Reo Hatate who played the ball into the six yard box and Idah got in front of Bogarde to score. Emery signalled to his players for calm, but he would have been furious that the game had not been put to bed.
Before Celtic’s first goal, Ramsey had been slightly unfortunate to hit the base of the post after a header had not been cleared properly and Watkins was guilty of wasting a superb chance.
Ramsey drove into the Celtic area and passed to Leon Bailey who pushed the ball to his right to find Watkins unmarked eight yards out. The striker dinked the ball past Schmeichel, but it was far too soft and Alistair Johnston cleared off the line with relative ease.
There was a chance for Villa to regain the lead in time added on for stoppages, as a corner was cleared as far as Konsa, but his shot was wide of Schmeichel’s right-hand post and Emery had seen enough as he marched straight down the tunnel for half-time.
The home crowd had understandably grown anxious and they groaned loudly when Rogers squandered a good opportunity to find a team-mate in the Celtic six-yard box with a cross that was too easily cleared. Rogers then shot wide as Villa desperately tried to take back control of the game.
Villa pushed and probed with Bailey seeing plenty of the ball down the right, but too often running down blind alleys, checking back on himself or failing to beat the first man with a cross.
Duran had pulled faces at the television cameras after taking his place back on the bench for the start of the second half, but there was a growing sense he might be needed to try to produce something special.
But Watkins scored his first Champions League goal on the hour mark to put Villa ahead again. The goal owed to some superb play from McGinn, who turned towards goal and ran with the ball before finding Ramsey, who gave Watkins the easiest of tasks.
Watkins immediately squandered another brilliant chance. Schmeichel made a mess of a clearance, sending the ball straight to McGinn, who teed up the striker. But the Celtic goalkeeper redeemed himself by saving Watkins’ shot.
There was worse to follow for Watkins, who should have ended the night with four goals of his own, as he missed a penalty in embarrassing fashion. It was the England international who won the spot-kick after going down under a challenge from Auston Trusty.
But after waiting over a minute to take his kick, a nervous looking Watkins slipped as he shot and kicked the ball on to his standing foot to send it high over the crossbar.
Schmeichel produced a superb save with his foot from Watkins, who also hit the side-netting and Rogers failed to find the back of the net after being sent through one-on-one before completing his hat-trick in time added on for stoppages.
10:02 PM GMT
Play-off round
Celtic will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. As will Manchester City (ie the other team).
10:01 PM GMT
Villa go straight through to last 16 in eighth
Celtic and Man City are in the play-offs.
Atalanta’s 2-2 draw with Barcelona let Villa leapfrog them:
09:56 PM GMT
Full time: Villa 4 Celtic 2
What an enjoyable game that was. Villa’s front four were terrific, Celtic had some very good moments themselves but could not match the home side for chances. Villa created about eight, Celtic three at most.
09:52 PM GMT
GOAL!
Villa 4-2 Celtic (Rogers) He has the matchball now (or one of them given the multiball system). Young Murray dawdles in his area, hoping the ball was going out of play but it didn’t have the pace and Watkins snaps into him to pick off his late backpass to Schmeichel. The keeper tries to dive to knock it away with his hand but Watkins taps it round him and passes to Rogers to fire home as Schmeichel lay supine.
09:52 PM GMT
90 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Three more minutes of stoppage time.
09:51 PM GMT
89 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Martinez chews up some time by taking a while with the ball at his feet before playing it out and triggering a quickfire raid in which Rogers hares down the right and squares it inches in front of Watkins’ run into the heart of the box.
09:49 PM GMT
87 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Celtic free-kick on halfway that they play back to Schmeichel, acting as if they have all the time in the world. They still have enough which is all that counts.
09:47 PM GMT
85 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Martinez goes route one up the middle to Watkins who tries to head it on to Rogers but Trusty gets between then to win it.
09:46 PM GMT
83 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Celtic make their last throw of the dice with the bench:
McCowan → Hatate
Murray → Scales
09:44 PM GMT
81 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Schmeichel to the rescue again. Bailey is 10 yards inside the Celtic half and then plays a wonderful pass with his left foot inside Trusty that bends perfectly into Rogers’ path after peeling away. Rogers takes it into the box and puts his laces through a shot but Schmeichel, as we have seen over the years comes sliding out on one knee to make a long barrier with his other leg and stops the drive.
09:40 PM GMT
79 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Another chance for Watkins on the left of the area but he slices this one into the sidenetting.
Celtic substitution:
Idah → Cummings.
A senior debut for the Scotland U19 forward.
09:39 PM GMT
77 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Kuhn sends Idah running down the right with a cute pass and the centre-forward keeps running almost to the byline, beating Maatsen and takes on the shot from a tight angle tahtw ould have snuck inside the near post but for Martinez’s positioning and firm block.
09:37 PM GMT
75 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Ch-ch-changes:
Maatsen → Digne.
Bernardo → Engels
Palma → Yang.
England manager Thomas Tuchel and his assistant Anthony Barry are here at Villa Park, and Morgan Rogers will certainly have caught the eye.
Rogers was called up to Lee Carsley’s final squad and surely has to be in Tuchel’s thoughts after his performance tonight.
The dynamic attacking midfielder plays in a position where there is a lot of competition, but his progress over the last six months has been remarkable.
Ollie Watkins is an England regular already but has just produced a contender for worst penalty of the season, missing a chance to put Villa in the driving seat.
09:34 PM GMT
74 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Hatate shoots from 25 yards having beens et up by Kuhn. He wraps his instep around it and bends it away from Martinez but it whistles past the post.
09:33 PM GMT
72 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
McGinn bullocks back 60 yards to stop Yang breaking through on goal.
09:33 PM GMT
70 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Terrific save with his right leg as he did the splits from Schmeichel. It came from a corner on the right, flicked on by Tielemans and Konsa won two tackles in the box to knock it to Watkins to shoot from 15 yards.
09:28 PM GMT
67 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Missed! He did a John Terry and slipped then booted it with his right instep into his left ankle and the ball balloons over the bar!
That’s incredible! And very funny unless you’re a Villa fan of course.
09:27 PM GMT
65 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Villa penalty for Trusty’s foul on Watkins which, I think, is very unlucky. He seems to have got the ball first but the VAR sticks with the referee’s decision. Watkins to take.
09:26 PM GMT
63 min: Villa 3 Celtic 2
Schemichel cleans up his own mess. Trusty had more pace than Watkins down the Villa left and passed the ball back to his keeper who tried a straight pass up to McGregor but McGinn read it and pounced on it and played it to Watkins 12 yards out but Schmeichel flew out and made a stunning block. Should have been 4-2.
Unai Emery has been telling his players to remain calm, as the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense here at Villa Park.
Emery clearly felt the chances will come and so it has proved with Ollie Watkins putting Villa back in front on the hour.
Watkins had been struggling tonight, perhaps in light of that failed bid from Arsenal, but that was a clinical finish.
09:21 PM GMT
GOAL!
Villa 3 Celtic 2 (Watkins) Villa move the ball 80 yards in five seconds after a Celtic attack breaks down in the Villa box. Rogers takes the pass just outside his own box, rolls Taylor and plays it infield to McGinn who darts 20 yards forward, spins Engesl who caught him up and feeds a pass up to Ramsey who has Watkins for company and only Trusty between him and Schmeichel. He draws Trusty to him and steers a pass inside to Watkins who slots his shot into the bottom left corner.
09:17 PM GMT
56 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Sloppy pass from Celtic allows Rogers a chance to go for his hat-trick from 20 yards with a left-foot daisycutter shot that beats Schemeichel’s dive but creeps past the post.
09:16 PM GMT
54 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
McGinn takes a quick free-kick to send Bailey down the left. He has Watkins for company inside him and tries to find him with a squarish pass but puts it behind him and Trusty gets to it first.
09:14 PM GMT
52 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Another slick move from Villa down their right with Bailey and Rogers combining and Rogers trying to cut it back to put it on a plate for Ramsey to the right of the penalty spot. But Johnston read his intentions and raced over to intercept. The right-back is playing very well after being done for the first Villa goal.
09:12 PM GMT
50 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Watkins dribbles up the left and into the box but loses his way and has to turn to his left and seek Ramsey’s help. Celtic defend the second phase of the move well.
09:11 PM GMT
The full story from our reporters at Villa Park on the chants
Celtic fans’ anti-Royal chants in front of Prince William
09:09 PM GMT
48 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Villa are slowing the pace down and horse-shoeing the ball around, trying to test Celtic’s patience. And then they ignite into a rapid move up the right that ends when Bailey beats Taylor and Yanh scythes him down but escapes without a yellow card.
09:08 PM GMT
46 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Watkins hounds Trusty who holds him off and passes back to Schmeichel and Celtic play out. McGinn crunches into Hatate late to concede a free-kick.
09:06 PM GMT
Jhon Duran update
TNT Sports is reporting that John Duran will have a medical with Al-Nassr tomorrow before tying up a £77 million transfer to the Saudi Pro League.
09:00 PM GMT
Half-time verdict
Unai Emery was down the tunnel before the half-time whistle had even blown, with a face like thunder.
He will not have enjoyed the last ten minutes of that half, with Celtic allowed back into the game and Villa displayed some rather dodgy defending.
As it stands, Villa are out of the top-eight and set to miss out on automatically qualifying for the round of 16 in March.
Emery will also point to a missed chance from Ollie Watkins at 2-0 up as a major turning point.
Villa now have it all to do, and nobody could have foreseen this after that electric start.
08:51 PM GMT
Half-time: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Well, that was a joy to watch. Two goals in two minutes from Rogers and two in reply in two from Idah.
08:50 PM GMT
45+3 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Konsa fires wide with a left-foot shot 15 yards out from the corner which Villa took short.
08:49 PM GMT
45+2 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Tielemans fizzes a fine pass up the inside-left, straight into Rogers’ stride but Johnston is in like Flynn to knock it behind for a corner.
08:47 PM GMT
45+1 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Digne looks leggy tonight to these eyes, without the usual punishing bursts that help him surge past right-backs.
08:46 PM GMT
45 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
We’re going to have three minutes of added time for the injury to Cash and a couple of delays to restarts.
08:46 PM GMT
43 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
What a cracker of a match. Bogarde tries to replicate Cash’s Duracell bunny running but stalls at halfway.
This game has been completely flipped on its head, and it is now the Celtic fans making all the noise.
Adam Idah has scored twice in two minutes to temporarily stun Villa Park, and not many could have seen this coming.
Both goals came after some hesitant defending from the home team. Could Unai Emery’s long list of defensive absentees now prove costly?
08:44 PM GMT
41 min: Villa 2 Celtic 2
Celtic look terribly vulnerable on the counter-attack and to the slickness of Villa’s front four but since Cash went off they haven’t had that extra lung-bursting raod runner bombing on to deal with. And when they have the ball, the skill of Hatate, Engels and Kuhn comes to the fore.
08:39 PM GMT
GOAL!
Villa 2 Celtic 2 (Idah) Anything Rogers can do ... Brilliant goal. Celtic work the ball between Johnston and Kuhn high up the right then play it to Engels who, faving his own goal, flicks a glorious pass between Digne and Kamara to Hatate who whips over a cross that Idah buries forcefully from close range again.
08:36 PM GMT
GOAL!
Villa 2 Celtic 1 (Idah) Celtic manage to get a full-back high and when bailey is dispossessed, Hatate sprays a fine pass out to Taylor on the overlap ahead of Yang. The left-back whips over a Barnes-Wallis of a cross that McGinn slides in to try and knock behind but meets it on ethe bounce and spoons it up to Idah who lashes a volley home. Good finish. Good goal.
08:35 PM GMT
34 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
How Watkins fails to score here is beyond the ken of most observers. Another rapid counter-attack with Ramsey, Bailey and Rogers to the fore, full of zippy passing and nimble movement, sets up Watkins, 12 yards out. Schmeichel scrambles to try to close him down but Watkins dinks it over his legs but doesn’t get enough power on it and as it skids towards the goal-line, Johnston hares over from right-back to boot it away.
08:33 PM GMT
32 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Yang has twice had a chance to put Hatate or Idah through but messed up the final ball. They are causing Villa problems on the left of their defence and on the right of deep midfield. Small pockets.
08:32 PM GMT
30 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Bogarde switches to right-back and McGinn slots into central midfield.
Another defensive injury for Villa and this time it is right-back Matty Cash.
With Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings already out, losing Cash will be a huge blow for Unai Emery.
John McGinn has replaced Cash with 15 minutes remaining in the half.
Celtic have responded after going two goals down so early but it appears Villa are heading for the round of 16.
08:30 PM GMT
28 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Kuhn has the beating of Digne again but his cross is straight at Martinez and he triggers an attack that breaks down when Cash twangs his hamstring and has to go off. Another defensive casualty.
McGinn → Cash.
08:29 PM GMT
26 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Chances at both ends, the first to Celtic when Hatate pounces on Digne’s mistake and bounds down the inside-right but tries to take on Martinez from 18 yards when he could have gone into the box and bends his shot straight down the World Cup winner’s throat.
Then up the other end Watkins takes down Martinez’s long pass with ease and sets up Cash to cross and a weak defensive header falls to the left of the penalty spot and Ramsey scuffs a shot on to the left post and it bounces straight into Schemeichel’s grateful arms.
08:26 PM GMT
23 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Tielemans floats over the free-kick, Scales heads it out to the edge of the box and Celtic get bodies out to block the shot.
The current chant from the Celtic end is ‘If you hate the royal family, clap your hands.’
08:23 PM GMT
21 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Trusty is first to a long chip upfield from Martinez. Bailey, Digne and Ramsey overload him and as he tries to hold them off he gets too rough with Digne and bundles him over. Free-kick on the left for Villa, parallel with the penalty spot.
08:21 PM GMT
19 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
‘It’s a perfect performance so far from Aston Villa,’ says Neil Lennon. The movement of Rogers, Bailey, cash and Ramsey has been sensational so far.
08:19 PM GMT
17 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Cash rakes a shot across goal from the right that Scales gets close enough to block.
08:18 PM GMT
15 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Some Celtic fans are still intent on mocking the late Queen with their Michael Fagan banner
08:14 PM GMT
13 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Header from Kamara facing his own goal stops Kuhn’s second attempt to find Idah with a cross. Kuhn’s pass and fizzing crosses are a major weapon for Celtic tonight. Digne may be in for a long night of shuttle runs.
08:13 PM GMT
11 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Good work from Bailey to get back and help Cash out when Hatate and Yang were threatening to overman him. On the other wing Kuhn burns past Digne andwhips over a cross for Idah that is hacked away.
08:11 PM GMT
9 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
Better from Celtic, using the rhythm of their passing to breed confidence and Kuhn even has a shot that does not bother Martinez. But a definite improvement.
So much for Celtic making a good start - it’s been a remarkable opening five minutes for Villa.
Morgan Rogers has scored twice to put the hosts ahead and Celtic are all over the place.
The second goal was not a moment Celtic defender Liam Scales or goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel will want to see again, with Rogers’ shot taking a huge deflection.
Celtic fans had been very noisy but appear stunned.
08:10 PM GMT
7 min: Villa 2 Celtic 0
If there’s one person who needs to cath their breath more than a Celtic fan, it’s a blogger. Celtic haven’t done much wrong with the ball but Villa have been mustard.
08:06 PM GMT
GOAL!
Villa 2-0 Celtic (Ramsey) Konsa steps in front of Idah to nick Schmeichel’s pass to halfway and plays it upfield. Thirty-three seconds after Celtic kicked off it’s in the back of their net again when Rogers shoots from 18-yards after a pass from Watkins and it takes a slight brush off the defender’s toe and loops up and over Schemeichel’s dive with spin and dip.
08:04 PM GMT
GOAL!
Villa 1-0 Celtic (Rogers) Clever pass from Kamara down the left for Digne who turns to face his own goal and roll it back to Ramsey. He plays a quick one-two with Tielemans, races into the box and squares it for Rogers to finish crisply from eight yards.
08:03 PM GMT
2 min: Villa 0 Celtic 0
Bailey makes a quick dart up the inside right with Cash making the dummy run outside to occupy Taylor. He pings a pass to Rogers in the D expecting a one-two return but Rogers puts it behind him.
08:02 PM GMT
1 min: Villa 0 Celtic 0
Celtic kick off, attacking from right to left and move the ball swiftly back to Johnston who shifts it across the back four and back up the left for Idah to run at Cash before doubling back.
Bogarde is in midfield with Kamara, as John percy predicted, at centre-back.
All about how Celtic start this match against Villa’s patched up defence.
Boubacar Kamara is an outstanding player but will not have operated in the centre of defence for some time.
There is also the inexperience of Lamare Bogarde, so Celtic will be under instructions to apply the pressure early on.
Incredible atmosphere here.
07:59 PM GMT
The teams are coming out
Villa in claret and blue, Celtic in their khaki camo kit. Villa fans have a massive banner or tifo with Ozzy Osbourne on it proclaiming ‘Up the Villa’.
07:44 PM GMT
A son in both camps
Nothing warms my heart more than seeing my sons passionately supporting their teams! ????????????Whether it's the roar of Villa Park or the thrill of Celtic Park, they're always cheering with full hearts and loud voices. Here's to loyalty, tradition, and the love of the beautiful… pic.twitter.com/gFg22zLcdO
— Stiliyan Petrov (@StanPetrov19) January 29, 2025
07:39 PM GMT
Champions League live table for 10th round of fixtures
07:33 PM GMT
Unai Emery comes over all coy about his defence
07:29 PM GMT
Meaty, beaty, not big but bouncy
What a night this promises to be for John McGinn aka ‘Meatball’.
The Villa midfielder has been a key player in the club’s rise from the Championship to the Champions League, since joining for the humble fee of £2.75m from Hibernian in 2018.
He could so easily have been lining up in the jersey of Celtic tonight, after choosing Villa ahead of the Glaswegian giants all that time ago.
McGinn has only just returned from a hamstring injury, and was never going to miss this one.
He will undoubtedly be frustrated at starting on the bench, but it seems inevitable he will appear at some point.
07:27 PM GMT
Focus on Celtic’s Arne Engels
By Mitchell Hall
Despite recently completing the re-signing of Jota from Rennes, Celtic are unable to deploy the Portuguese winger in their Champions League squad tonight. With star striker Kyogo Furuhashi departing the other way in that deal, they will have to find their stand-out performer elsewhere, and there’s no one better than versatile Belgian midfielder Arne Engels.
The 21-year-old signed from Augsburg in Germany for £11 million and has been key to Celtic’s midfield since, getting forward and helping to orchestrate attacks. He has chipped in with goals as well, sitting joint third in Celtic’s top SPL scorers this season, with six.
Despite a penalty miss last week in their fixture against Swiss club Young Boys, Engels has adapted well to playing European opposition, and will be raring to go tonight against Unai Emery’s men.
07:22 PM GMT
Celtic’s Green Brigade take to the stands
07:16 PM GMT
TNT Sports has Stiliyan Petrov and Martin O’Neill as pundits
And here they are with Brendan Rodgers:
07:13 PM GMT
Your teams in black and white
Aston Villa Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne; Tielemans, Kamara; Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey;, Watkins.
Substitutes Olsen, Zych, McGinn, Duran, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Swinkels, Patterson, Young.
Celtic Schmeichel; Johnston, Scales, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor; Kuhn, Hatate, Yang; Yang.
Substitutes Sinisalo, Bain, Palma, McCowan, Nawrocki, Bernardo, Montgomery, Murray, Cummings, Ralston.
Referee Clément Turpin (France)
07:05 PM GMT
Villa prep disrupted by Watkins bid
Aston Villa’s preparations for this game have also been disrupted by Arsenal’s bid for striker Ollie Watkins.
Though Villa have turned down the opening bid, Unai Emery is furious with the timing of the offer coming hours before a crucial Champions League game.
It comes just over a week after a “derisory” bid from West Ham for Jhon Duran ahead of Villa’s penultimate group game against Monaco.
Watkins starts tonight and Duran – who remains a target for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia – has just been happily posing for selfies with home supporters.
Emery is likely to be box office after the game when the subject of Arsenal’s bid is brought up.
06:59 PM GMT
I think it’s fair to say...
...tensions are rising outside Villa Park.
Some skirmishes between rival fans ahead of Aston Villa v Celtic match tonight. Some flares thrown and police have moved fans back. Huge policing operation across Birmingham ahead of game. pic.twitter.com/csScyDdH5q
— Adrian Rutherford (@arutherfordNI) January 29, 2025
06:56 PM GMT
Security ramp up
Celtic fans have started arriving at Villa Park and have been welcomed by a heavy police and security presence.
06:49 PM GMT
Idah leads the line for Celtic
06:48 PM GMT
Villa team news
Bogarde starts in central defence. He’s the nephew of Winston, the Champions League winner with Ajax in 1995 and bête noir of Ken Bates.
06:45 PM GMT
That Arsenal offer for Watkins
By Jason Burt
Aston Villa have been left unimpressed by the timing of an approach from Arsenal for striker Ollie Watkins on the eve of their Champions League game against Celtic.
It is the second successive time Villa’s preparations for an important Champions League match have been overshadowed by a Premier League rival declaring an interest in one of their players.
West Ham United made a bid for Jhon Duran on the eve of their defeat to Monaco last week and it is understood Arsenal made an offer just under £60 million for Watkins in the build-up to Wednesday night’s visit of Celtic.
06:43 PM GMT
A fire has broken out at the Etihad, outside the stadium
You can follow the latest here
06:41 PM GMT
Emery desperate to win ‘Battle of Britain’
Aston Villa are assured of a play-off place but Unai Emery is desperate to win ‘The Battle of Britain’ and secure a top-eight spot.
Emery’s Villa can book a place in the round of 16 with a win over the Scottish champions and hope for Atalanta to either lose or draw away at Barcelona.
Villa have been plunged into a defensive crisis ahead of the game, with Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres injured, while Diego Carlos was sold to Fenerbahce last weekend.
It means that defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara is expected to play centre-back - a role he has previously played at former club Marseille.
Celtic are already guaranteed a place in the knockout stages but there is still so much on the line and this has the feel of a big night in Birmingham.
06:40 PM GMT
For the mathematicians among you
Champions League table: Where every side is most likely to finish
06:39 PM GMT
And here’s Martin O’Neill
When Aston Villa host Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday, watching from the Villa Park television studio will be an observer with a fully informed perspective.
Martin O’Neill is one of only two men – alongside Billy McNeill – to have managed both clubs. And though they have never before met in a competitive match there is one thing he discovered, soon after taking charge at both, they have in common: continental history. Albeit in a time that now seems projected entirely in sepia, both have won Europe’s foremost club trophy.
“Oh, that history is vital,” says O’Neill. “I don’t think you should downplay that past. At both clubs I absolutely wanted to embrace it. They had won the European Cup, the one trophy every player worth their salt should chase. I wanted the players to remember the past, be inspired by it, not be intimidated by it.”
06:36 PM GMT
Some pre-match reading
Prince William’s beloved Aston Villa face Celtic, the club where fans hate the royal family
Whether it is losing his voice roaring them to a famous victory, or slumping with his head in his hands watching them crash to an agonising defeat, the Prince of Wales has taken centre stage during Aston Villa’s return to European football.
But all eyes at Villa Park will be on the heir to the throne like never before if he attends their first competitive meeting with Celtic. For not only is Wednesday night’s Champions League clash one of Villa’s biggest matches in his lifetime, they are playing the one British club whose fans have made it abundantly clear they will never accept him as their king.
06:32 PM GMT
Preview: All ears on Celtic
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of Aston Villa’s Champions League match against Celtic which begins with both clubs guaranteed a play-off place but with Villa in ninth (on the same number of points but one goal behind Bayer Leverkusen) kindling firmer hopes of clinching a top eight spot, and hence a bye in to the Round of 16, than Celtic in 18th. Having said that, only one point separates the two sides, demonstrating the clustering effect of the Swiss model, so Celtic could technically force their way into the top eight but it is highly unlikely given the spread of fixtures between clubs ahead of them in which, of course, both cannot lose. Up for grabs for them, then, is a place from ninth to 16th which would give them a seeded place in Friday’s draw for the play-offs and a home second leg.
Villa come into tonight’s match with reports suggesting they are incandescent about a £60 million bid from Arsenal for Ollie Watkins submitted today. As well as dealing with that unwelcome grenade, they also have a crisis at centre-back. Since losing Pau Torres to injury and selling Diego Carlos to Fenerbahce, Tyrone Mings hurt his medial ligament during the draw with West Ham and they have no cover other than their two Dutch 21-year-olds, Lamare Bogarde and Sil Swinkels. Unai Emery switched Lucas Digne infield from left-back after Mings went off but, in Paul Merson’s splendid analogy, he looked like ‘a fish up a tree’ in that role. Should he persist with that tonight there ought to be some vulnerability between him and Ian Maatsen for Celtic to exploit even without Kyogo Furuhashi, sold to Rennes for £10 million this week, and Daizen Maeda, who is suspended.
Whether the Prince of Wales, who has usurped Ozzy Osbourne and Nigel Kennedy as the Villans most high-profile fan, and Sir Rod Stewart are at Villa Park for the first meeting of the two clubs seems to be exercising reporters beyond the sports desk, particularly on the subject of some Celtic supporters’ republican sympathies and their bad-taste way of expressing them. It is Celtic’s first competitive match in England since a 1-1 draw with Man City at Etihad Stadium in 2016 and as such they will be under particular scrutiny for any off colour chants.
