Soccer

Adam Idah nets twice for Celtic but Aston Villa come out on top to reach Champions League last 16

Morgan Rogers scored a hat-trick in a thriller at Villa Park

Morgan Rogers scores Aston Villa's fourth goal. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
Morgan Rogers scores Aston Villa's fourth goal. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
Ben Fisher
Wed Jan 29 2025 - 22:36
Champions League: Aston Villa 4 (Rogers 3,5, 90; Watkins 60) Celtic 2 (Idah 36,38)

Aston Villa made life difficult for themselves but at the final whistle they could finally celebrate advancing automatically to the last 16 of the Champions League. Celtic stunned Villa after recovering from an early two-goal deficit to level but Ollie Watkins registered his first goal in the competition to nudge Villa in front and then missed a penalty to put the game to bed. Judging by the way Watkins celebrated his strike, he is here to stay. A smirking Watkins coolly jogged along the Holte End before clenching his fist and appearing to tap the crest on his chest. Meanwhile Jhon Durán, an unused substitute, seems destined to depart for the Saudi Pro League.

Before kick-off a giant tifo of Ozzy Osbourne, the celebrity Villa fan, filled the face of the Holte End but 15 minutes earlier, at the end of Villa’s warm-up, it was Faithless’s Insomnia which blared over the speakers. It felt a fitting choice given the noise surrounding Watkins and Durán, neither of whom can be immune to the outside interest in whisking them away before the close of the January window. Watkins blew kisses towards a hospitality box in the North Stand, giving a glove to a young fan before heading into the dressingroom. Durán, typically, was last down the tunnel, high-fiving the supporters arched over the perspex screens in search of autographs.

Villa initially made light of what could have been a destabilising backdrop, quickly getting to work to the point the game felt as good as over inside the opening five minutes. Morgan Rogers swept home after a clinical, triangular move down the left flank that caught Alistair Johnston cold. Youri Tielemans slipped Jacob Ramsey in the channel and Ramsey squared for Rogers, who converted from close range. Emery flung his right fist towards the floor of his technical area in celebration. Every outfield Villa player joined the party. At the other end Emiliano Martínez took a swig of water.

If it was advantage Villa after 152 seconds, then Villa were in command with barely four minutes gone. An alert Ezri Konsa pounced on Kasper Schmeichel’s pass for Idah and kick-started an attack just inside the Celtic half. Watkins then took over, locating Rogers to his right. Celtic gave Villa plenty of room and encouraged Rogers to take aim. So he did and Rogers blasted a shot goalwards, which skidded off the studs of Liam Scales and flew into the top corner past Schmeichel.

READ MORE

Callum McGregor, the Celtic captain, asked questions of his team-mates, Rodgers looked on in the away dugout. Celtic summoned a response, Nicolas Kühn scissoring a shot wide after Idah gave chase to a long ball. Boubacar Kamara, a makeshift centre-back amid Villa’s defensive injuries, twice nipped in to avert any sign of danger but Celtic had nothing to lose and would not relent. Reo Hatate squandered a fine chance after seizing a loose pass from Lucas Digne. Seconds later Villa went close to registering a third goal inside 25 minutes, Ramsey’s shot cannoning off a post, Schmeichel’s right shin and up towards the gloves the grateful Celtic goalkeeper. Then Watkins could only smile as Johnston, with Schmeichel beaten, cleared his shot off the line.

So it could feasibly have been 4-1 to the hosts. Then Villa cracked. There were nervous glances after Adam Idah extended his right leg to hook in Greg Taylor’s cross, which diverted into the former Norwich striker’s path via John McGinn, whose attempted clearance backfired. Two minutes later Idah converted from the edge of the six-yard box to cap a slick move and make a mockery of those who presumed Villa would simply swat aside the Scottish champions. Rodgers punched the air.

Celtic hoped to seize on a souring mood inside Villa Park, the groans that filled the air as a couple of early second-half moves collapsed. But with the hour mark looming McGinn took matters into his own hands, shrugging off Arne Engels on halfway to spark an attack. Ramsey streamed towards goal and unselfishly squared for an unmarked Watkins to his left to lash in. The stadium announcer also improvised, inviting supporters to cheer Watkins’s name by starting off his song. “Do, do, do …” Villa fans needed no reminding but Watkins failed to restore their two-goal cushion after being fouled by Auston Trusty a few minutes later. After a long wait McGinn passed the ball to Watkins, who took three deep breaths and then fluffed his lines, slipping and ballooning the subsequent penalty into the fans behind the goal. A nervy finale seemed a given.

Schmeichel saved to thwart Watkins with his right boot and up the other end McGinn did superbly to prevent Yang Hyun-jun advancing, grappling with and gnawing at the Celtic forward to halt the promise of the visitors’ counterattack. Hatate then flashed a shot wide from 20 yards and then Watkins rattled the side netting before Rogers completed his hat-trick late on. – Guardian