Aston Villa vs Celtic

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers became the first player in UEFA Champions League history to score twice in the opening five minutes of a game. Indeed, there were just 90 seconds between both of his goals.

Aston Villa have reached the last 16 of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League for just the third time in their history after 1981-82 and 1982-83.

Celtic are winless in their last 12 UEFA Champions League away games (D3 L9), conceding 40 goals in that time (3.3 per game).

Aston Villa and Celtic will meet for the very first time; the Villans’ only previous European fixture against a fellow British club came in 2023-24 UEFA Conference League qualifying, winning 8-0 on aggregate against Hibernian.

Celtic have drawn each of their last three games against English opposition in the UEFA Champions League, drawing 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium with Manchester City in their most recent such game in December 2016.  

Only one Scottish side has ever won away from home against an English opponent in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, with Celtic themselves beating Leeds United in April 1970 (1-0). Since then, English sides have gone unbeaten across the seven such fixtures (W5 D2).

Celtic won their final game of the group stage in the UEFA Champions League last season (2-1 v Feyenoord), while they’ve never previously done so in back-to-back campaigns.

Celtic have qualified beyond the group stage/league phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2012-13. The Hoops have won three matches in the competition this term, last winning more in a European Cup/Champions League edition in 1973-74 (4), when they reached the semi-finals.