Aston Villa have won both previous meetings with Scottish opposition, hammering Hibs 8-0 on aggregate last season, while Celtic have won three of their ten visits to England to date, beating Leeds in 1970, Blackburn in 2002 and Liverpool a few months later, going onto reach the final of the various competitions both times.
Aston Villa vs Celtic Preview
Both of these two clubs are already assured of a place in the knockout stages, but both have so much to play for ahead of this eagerly awaited clash in the Midlands. Aston Villa kick off ninth in the table, outside the top eight by virtue of goal difference alone, knowing a win in this one would see them reach the last 16, if one of the quartet of sides just above them does not win; considering Atalanta visit Barcelona, this is very possible.
The Claret and Blue Army will feel their side should be in a better position, given that they were beaten 1-0 by Monaco last Tuesday, putting in a lifeless display and rarely threatening at Stade Louis II. The Villans won their first three Champions League matches, but have won only one of four subsequently, albeit they're yet to even concede a goal at home, beating both Bayern Munich and Bologna, before being held to a goalless draw by Juventus.
Concerningly though from Unai Emery's perspective, his side put in another jaded display at the weekend, held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham on Sunday, seemingly set to cruise to victory when Jacob Ramsey fired them in front after just eight minutes, before offering very little from there on out. Nevertheless, in front of a raucous home support, the vast majority inside Villa Park will be expecting to see a home victory.
As for Celtic, this is a free-hit, given that they booked their place in the knockout stages a week ago, doing so for the first time in 12 years. The competition's bottom side BSC Young Boys were the visitors, and it looked set to be one of those nights at Parkhead, when Kyōgo Furuhashi saw a trio of first half goals disallowed, before Arne Engels' tame spot-kick was saved.
However, with four minutes to play, Paradise erupted; Reo Hatate's inch-perfect through-ball picked out Adam Idah, who's shot was saved, only to ricochet in off a defender, snatching a 1-0 victory, sparking wild scenes of celebration. This takes the Hoops' points tally to 12, ten of which have been earned at home, also notably holding Atalanta to a goalless draw in Bergamo, their sole defeat that 7-1 shellacking at the hands of Borussia Dortmund at Westfalenstadion.
Thus, the Bhoys are guaranteed a top 24 spot, they could mathematically sneak into the top eight, albeit that's extremely unlikely, but still want to finish as high as possible, in that hope that this presents them with a more favourable draw on Friday.
The Scottish champions were not in action at the weekend, their home game against Dundee was postponed due to Storm Éowyn, but are having a rather successful domestic campaign. Brendan Rodgers' side beat Rangers on penalties in the League Cup Final back in December, and sit ten points clear at the top of the Premiership table, with that aforementioned game in hand.
Not that it's taken for granted, but domestic silverware is expected at Celtic, meaning this team will primarily be judged on their exploits in Europe; the Hoops have already reached the knockouts, so can they now win a Champions League away game for the first time since September 2017?
Aston Villa vs Celtic Head-to-Head Record
These two clubs have never previously met.
Aston Villa Team News
Centre-back Pau Torres remains sidelined, while his understudy Tyone Mings hobbled off with a knee injury on Sunday. He latter described this as not serious, but must surely be a doubt given the quick turnaround, potentially leaving Unai Emery very short of defenders. Midfielders Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are injured too, while John McGinn came off the bench against West Ham, his first outing for a fortnight due to a hamstring injury; as a boyhood Celtic fan, whose grandfather Jack is a former Celtic chairman, he'll be desperate to feature. Lucas Digne, Boubacar Kamara and Jhon Durán would all miss the first leg of a knockout tie if booked, while new signings Andrés García and Donyell Malen are not yet eligible to feature in UEFA competition.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Celtic: (4-2-2-2): Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Digne, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans, Ramsey, Bailey; Rogers, Watkins.
Aston Villa Player to Watch vs Celtic
By scoring a hat-trick in Edinburgh last season, Ollie Watkins became only the fourth Villa player to bag a treble in UEFA competition, after Peter Withe, Gary Shaw and Stan Collymore. Now, facing the Scottish champions, can he net in the Champions League for the very first time?
Celtic Team News
Brendan Rodgers' side will be well-rested, following an impromptu free-weekend, albeit they'll be without two key attackers. Top-scorer Kyōgo Furuhashi has joined Stade Rennais, with fans' favourite Jota returning the other way, although he's not available for this one, while Daizen Maeda's red card late on against Young Boys means he is suspended. Thus, last Wednesday's hero Adam Idah will start a Champions League match for only the second time, while it'll be interesting to see if Rodgers goes for Yang Hyun-jun or out of favour Luis Palma on the left, while James Forrest is injured. Arne Engles and Reo Hatate are set to get the nod over Paulo Bernardo in midfield and former Birmingham City defender Auston Trusty is unlikely to receive warm welcome back to the Midlands. Lastly, left-back Greg Taylor has to be careful, as he's one booking away from a ban.
Celtic predicted lineup vs Aston Villa: (4-3-3): Schmeichel, Johnston, Trusty, Carter-Vickers, Taylor; McGregor, Hatate, Engles; Kühn, Yang Hyun-jun, Idah.
Celtic Player to Watch vs Aston Villa
Kasper Schmeichel has been sensational since joining Celtic, keeping 21 clean sheets in 35 appearances, three of which have come in the Champions League. The Dane has previously conceded just 13 goals in 12 career outings against Aston Villa so, if the Hoops harbour any hopes of a positive result at Villa Park, they'll need their goalkeeper to continue to be at his best.
Aston Villa vs Celtic Prediction
We are forecasting an Aston Villa victory on Wednesday. Celtic, missing two key attackers, are unlikely to cause the Claret and Blue Army too many problems, so we're forecasting a night of celebration for the Villans, claiming victory and reaching the round of 16: Aston Villa 3-1 Celtic.
Aston Villa vs Celtic FAQs - Champions League
How to watch Aston Villa vs Celtic Champions League game on TV channel?
Aston Villa vs Celtic Champions League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: TNT Sports 1 & Ultimate
- USA: Paramount+
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch Aston Villa vs Celtic Champions League game on live streaming?
Aston Villa vs Celtic Champions League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: discovery+
- USA: Paramount+
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Aston Villa vs Celtic in the Champions League?
Aston Villa vs Celtic takes place on Wednesday 29 January 2025, with kick off at 20:00 (GMT), 15:00 (EDT) & 12:00 (PST).