Champions League: Villa Park bedlam sums up gripping Celtic campaign
2025-01-30
Category: sports

Celtic's enthralling defeat at Aston Villa was a near-perfect illustration of the club's gripping, and ultimately successful, Champions League campaign.A campaign which now rolls on to a tantalising two-legged play-off against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in less than two weeks.In Birmingham, there were shades of the Borussia Dortmund horror show as Villa scored twice in the opening five minutes, while missing a host of other chances. Celtic players looked stunned and cowed in a raucous stadium against an elite side.But as those memories of the Westfalenstadion on matchday two - banished by recent improvements at Europe's top table - came rushing back, Celtic dug deep.There was some of the fight and character shown in digging out a point at Atalanta and coming from behind to draw with Club Brugge as they steadied. Then some of the swashbuckling stuff seen against RB Leipzig and Slovan Bratislava as Adam Idah ended his goal drought with a double to level.That got Celtic right back in the contest, which gripped until Morgan Rogers completed his hat-trick to make it 4-2 in stoppage time, as the pressure from Villa proved too much in the second half.Even in disappointment the Celtic players and fans, both drained from another epic night, left Villa Park knowing the story is not over.They get to do it all again in the play-off round against a European giant, with the draw made on Friday. That was the aim, but now they're there, Brendan Rodgers and his players will want to make the most of it.
Celtic live on edge of chaos
While Celtic's fightback and competitiveness was admirable, the defeat was a reminder of the unforgiveable nature of playing the best in the Champions League.Villa scored four, missed a penalty, hit a post, had one cleared off the line, racking up a hefty expected goals rating of 3.79. Celtic played on the edge of chaos as they pressed and tried to move the ball quickly. At times it worked, but there were also a lot of mistakes.
They were caught in possession trying to play out from the back for Villa's second.And Liam Scales was punished ruthlessly for pushing too high up the pitch for the third as Villa easily broke through on the counter.Auston Trusty erratically slid in to give away a penalty, while a poor header from the American in the first half lead to Jacob Ramsey hitting a post.Young defender Dane Murray - only recently returned from Queen's Park - was robbed in his own box for the fourth in stoppage time. There were plenty more moments when Celtic got themselves into trouble.Without their best centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers it was always going to be a tough task defensively, while Daizen Maeda's defensive output was missed as Villa got joy down the flanks in the first half.Maeda will miss the first leg of the next round due to suspension, and with Kyogo Furuhashi away to Rennes, and left-back Alex Valle joining him out the door, the last few days of the transfer window are big for the club.With Real or Bayern coming to town, they need to make sure they are as strong as possible from back to front.Dortmund aside, Celtic have been competitive and adaptable throughout this campaign, and reaching the play-off round is just rewards for that.
Idah provides timely reminder
In the week Celtic lost talismanic striker Kyogo, Idah provided a timely reminder of his capabilities to some of the more angst-ridden among the club's fans.That could be the biggest positive to come from this defeat.The Irishman's two goals - the first Villa had conceded on their own patch in the Champions League - not only hauled his team back level from a bleak position, but demonstrated his finishing abilities to many who had forgotten he had them.The final goal in a 5-0 home win against Ross County at the end of November was the last time the Irishman found the net before Wednesday.'BVP' - before Villa Park - might become the reference point in Idah's Celtic career, if he can kick on from this and fill Kyogo's substantial shoes.The hope for Rodgers is Idah's instinctive finishes, particularly for the first goal where he managed to react brilliantly to get his leg in a difficult position to lash home, will spark something.There were also glimpses of his running power in behind, particularly one moment in the second half when he sprinted in behind and got a strike away.Rodgers said afterwards it will be "big for his confidence", and this campaign has been a boost for Celtic's overall esteem on the grandest stage in club football.Their progress was epitomised by their first-half fightback in Birmingham.They have nothing to lose from here on, but the next challenge is to make sure the pride they have worked so hard to restore remains intact against one of the giants of European football.