The Matchday 8 clash in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage between Aston Villa (England) and Celtic (Scotland) will take place on January 29 at Villa Park in Birmingham. Aston Villa vs. Celtic: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Aston Villa
The Birmingham side played their last round away, where they fell 0-1 to Monaco. In their last four group stage matches, the English team has secured only one win (1 draw and 2 losses), yet they sit comfortably in 9th place and have already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. They have a decent chance to qualify directly for the Champions League round of 16, but for that, they need to win the upcoming match and hope for slip-ups from their closest competitors. Notably, Unai Emery's squad has failed to score in 3 of their last 4 games in this European competition.
Due to injuries, defender Pau Torres, and midfielders Ross Barkley and Amadou Onana are sidelined. Defender Tyrone Mings is doubtful for the match.
- At least one team failed to score in 6 of Aston Villa's last 7 matches in this tournament.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 6 of the last 7 matches involving the Birmingham side in the Champions League.
- The English club has played three home matches in this European competition and has not conceded a single goal.
Celtic
The Scots secured a spot in the next stage of the tournament after a 1-0 home victory over Young Boys. The team is currently in 18th place in the standings, trailing Birmingham by just one point. It's worth noting Brendan Rodgers' side's current five-match unbeaten run in the Champions League (2 wins and 3 draws), as well as just one loss in seven rounds played.
Forward Daizen Maeda will miss the match due to suspension. Forward James Forrest and defender Cameron Carter-Vickers are in the infirmary. It's also noteworthy that forward Kyogo Furuhashi has moved to Rennes.
- Celtic has suffered only one defeat in their last eight Champions League matches (4 wins and 3 draws).
- The club has not scored more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 games in this European competition.
- The team has not won in regular time in their last 10 away matches in this tournament (4 draws and 6 losses).
Predicted lineups for Aston Villa vs. Celtic
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez – Lucas Digne, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings – Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara – Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana, Leon Bailey – Ollie Watkins.
Celtic (4-3-3): Kasper Schmeichel – Greg Taylor, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, Alistair Johnston – Arne Engels, Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate – Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kühn, Adam Uche Idah.
Referee: Clement Turpin (France)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 28;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.5;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 50%.
Aston Villa vs. Celtic: Match Prediction
The English side is gearing up for nothing less than a win in the upcoming match, ideally with a large margin. Aston Villa aims to finish among the top eight to secure a direct spot in the Champions League round of 16. There is a high likelihood that several teams will end up with an equal number of points, and then the goal difference will come into play when ranking positions. Unai Emery's team performed excellently in three home matches in the group stage, defeating Bayern and Bologna with clean sheets and drawing with Juventus.
Celtic, in my opinion, was fortunate with the draw. The club played only three matches against opponents from Europe's top leagues and won just one of those – at home against Leipzig. It's also worth noting their heavy defeat by Borussia Dortmund (1-7). Such a scoreline is unlikely in England, but the Birmingham side is capable of defeating the Scots by a margin of two or more goals. Also, it's worth mentioning that Celtic is weak on the road, having not won in 10 away games, and scoring just one goal in their last six away matches in the Champions League.
My prediction – Aston Villa to win with a handicap (-1)
