Aston Villa vs Celtic facts

Aston Villa and Celtic conclude their respective league phase campaigns in the UEFA Champions League at Villa Park.

Both teams are already sure of a place in the knockout phase, Villa having 13 points despite a 1-0 defeat at Monaco on Matchday 7, when Celtic won at home to Young Boys by the same scoreline to move on to 12 points and seal progress.

This is the clubs' first meeting, and only Villa's third game against a Scottish club.

Form guide

Aston Villa

Record vs Scottish clubs: W2 D0 L0 F8 A0
Home record vs Scottish clubs: W1 D0 L0

Villa's only matches against a team from Scotland came in last season's UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying play-off, when they won 5-0 at Hibernian – Ollie Watkins scoring a hat-trick – and triumphed 3-0 at home, with Leon Bailey finding the target in both legs.

This is Villa's first Champions League campaign – they are the 11th English club to feature in the competition proper.

Villa are taking part in the European Cup for the third time overall, and a first since 1982/83.

The Villans were involved in European competition for the first time since 2010/11 in 2023/24, Unai Emery's team reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals where they lost to eventual champions Olympiacos (2-4 h, 0-2 a).

The Birmingham club have won eight of their last ten home European games, the exceptions that first-leg defeat by Olympiacos and this season's 0-0 draw against Juventus on Matchday 5. They have also beaten Bayern München (1-0) and Bologna (2-0) in Birmingham in the league phase.

Emery guided Villa to fourth place in the Premier League in 2023/24 – their highest finish since 1995/96, when they were also fourth.

Villa are one of five clubs making their Champions League debuts in 2024/25, along with Brest, Bologna, Girona and Slovan Bratislava.

Celtic

Record vs English clubs: W7 D7 L6 F22 A24
Away record vs English clubs: W3 D3 L4

Celtic's last games against Premier League opposition came in the 2016/17 group stage, when they drew twice with Manchester City (3-3 h, 1-1 a).

That made it six matches without a win (D3 L3) against English clubs, since a 1-0 home victory against Manchester United in the 2006/07 group stage.

The 2016 draw at City ended Celtic's three-match losing streak away to English teams; their last victory was a 2-0 triumph at Liverpool in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg (3-1 aggregate).

The Hoops are in the Champions League proper for the 13th time and the third season running.

Celtic were bottom of their section for the second season in a row in 2023/24, although they ended with a 2-1 home win against Feyenoord – their first Champions League victory at Celtic Park since 2013.

Home and away, Celtic have won only six of their last 39 games in the Champions League proper (D9 L24) – but four of the last eight.

Celtic have finished bottom of their section in four of their last five Champions League campaigns.

The Glasgow side have won only one of their last 14 European away games, losing ten. This season they have gone down 7-1 at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 2 before 0-0 draws at UEFA Europa League holders Atalanta and, on Matchday 6, GNK Dinamo.

The first British club to win the European Cup in 1967, and runners-up to Feyenoord three years later, Celtic have reached the Champions League knockout stages three times. All those campaigns ended in the round of 16, most recently in 2012/13 against Juventus (0-3 h, 0-2 a).

Celtic claimed their 54th Scottish League title, and a 12th in 13 seasons, in 2023/24. Brendan Rodgers' side also won the Scottish Cup for a record 42nd time.

Links and trivia

Has played in Scotland:
John McGinn (St Mirren 2012–15, Hibernian 2015–18)

McGinn's record against Celtic is W2 D3 L11, his only goals coming in Hibs' 2-2 Scottish Premiership draw at Celtic Park on 30 September 2017 in which he struck twice.

International team-mates:
John McGinn & Anthony Ralston, Greg Taylor, James Forrest, Callum McGregor (Scotland)
Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans & Arne Engels (Belgium)

Latest news

Aston Villa

Jacob Ramsey's first Premier League goal since 30 September 2023 was only enough for a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham on Sunday.

Ollie Watkins provided the assist, becoming the second Villa player to be directly involved in 100 Premier League goals (61 goals, 39 assists), after Gabriel Agbonlahor, in 169 appearances.

On 18 January goals from Youri Tielemans and Watkins earned a 2-2 draw at Arsenal – the first time Villa had avoided defeat in a Premier League game in which they had trailed by two goals in 53 matches stretching back to November 2013.

Villa had won their previous three games in all competitions, including a 1-0 victory at Everton on 15 January.

That ended a five-match losing streak in Premier League away matches and was their first win since 19 October.

Unai Emery's side were 2-1 victors at home to West Ham in the FA Cup third round on 10 January; they will play Tottenham at Villa Park in the next round.

Watkins is Villa's top scorer in this season's Premier League on ten goals, three more than Jhon Durán.

Tyrone Mings, who was out between 12 August 2023 and 30 October 2024 with a serious knee injury, was taken off in the first half on Sunday with another knee problem.

John McGinn returned as a substitute on Sunday having missed four games with a thigh injury.

Amadou Onana was taken off in the first half at Arsenal with a hamstring problem and has not played since.

Ross Barkley has been out since suffering a calf injury against West Ham on 10 January.

Pau Torres has been out since 30 December having been replaced in the first half of a 2-2 home draw against Brighton with an ankle problem.

Diego Carlos joined Fenerbahçe on 21 January.

Villa signed forward Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund on 14 January while right-back Andrés García joined from Levante on 21 January.

Celtic

Celtic's home game against Dundee on Saturday was postponed due to storm damage at Celtic Park.

The Scottish champions have won 19 of their 23 league games this season, the sole defeat a 3-0 loss at Glasgow rivals Rangers on 2 January – ending the Hoops' 27-match unbeaten league run (W24 D3).

Matchday 6 was the first in a run of three successive draws for Celtic, who have since won seven of their nine fixtures (D1 L1).

Celtic have kept ten clean sheets in their last 15 matches in all competitions; they conceded 11 goals in the other five.

On 18 January Celtic were 2-1 winners at home to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup fourth round, Daizen Maeda marking his return from injury with the winner. They will be at home to Raith Rovers in the fifth round on 8 February.

On 15 December Celtic claimed the first silverware of the Scottish season, beating Rangers 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the League Cup final to lift the trophy for the 22nd time and the eighth in the last 11 campaigns.

James Forrest has been out since the League Cup final with a foot injury.