One of the standout fixtures from matchday eight of the Champions League sees Aston Villa square off with Celtic on Wednesday night.
Both teams head into this Villa Park showdown safe in the knowledge that they will be extending their stay in Europe's premier club competition beyond the league phase.
That being said, Aston Villa do have the added incentive of trying to secure a top-eight finish, with last week’s 1-0 loss away at Monaco denting those aspirations.
Unai Emery’s side failed to bounce back from that setback when being held to a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday.
As for Celtic, they advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2013 with a well-deserved 1-0 win over Young Boys last Wednesday night.
Brendan Rodgers’ side should be the fresher of the two teams ahead of this showdown after the Hoops' fixture with Dundee at the weekend was postponed following storm damage to their Parkhead stadium.
How the bookies view it: Villa to emerge victorious
Despite winning just one of their last four Champions League matches, Aston Villa are firm 8/15 favourites on Boylesports.
Each of Celtic’s last two league phase away games have ended all square and the same outcome here can be backed at 10/3 on Boylesports, while the Bhoys are as big as 9/2 with the same bookmaker to claim what would be a first Champions League away day success since 2017.
Head to head: A first-ever encounter
Aston Villa and Celtic will come up against each other in competitive action for the first time ever on Wednesday night. Celtic last crossed paths with Premier League opposition in this competition back in 2016, earning a creditable 1-1 draw against Man City at the Etihad – another game featuring goals at both ends looks worthy of support here at 4/5 on Boylesports.
Players to watch: Joy for Jhon?
Jhon Duran has scored in two of Aston Villa’s three Champions League home games this season.. The Colombian striker could come back into the starting XI on Wednesday night, which would make him an appealing option to either score or assist at even-money (1/1) on Bet 365.
Nicolas Kuhn has netted 16 goals across his 31 appearances for Celtic in all competitions this season. The Hoops forward is 4/1 on Boylesports to hit the back of the net at Villa Park.
Predicted line-ups
Tyrone Mings is a major doubt after hobbling off against West Ham on Sunday, while Amadou Onana, Pau Torres and Ross Barkley look set to miss out again this midweek.
Celtic will be without influential forward Diazen Maeda after he was shown a red card against Young Boys last time out.
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Kamara, Digne; Tielemans McGinn; Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey; Duran
Celtic: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Bernardo; Kuhn, Idah, Hatate
Anything else catch the eye?
Dipping into the team corners market, Celtic merit support to hit over 3.5 flag-kicks at 4/5 on UniBet.
With Brendan Rodgers’ side already guaranteed of a place inside the top 24, Celtic can approach this game with a relaxed attitude and they are unlikely to sacrifice their attacking principles.
Moreover, the Hoops have hit four or four or more corners in each of their previous three Champions League away games, covering this proposed line against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta.
This UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic will be played on Jan 29, 2025 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Celtic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
