IT’S A VILLA THRILLER! Best is yet to come for Celtic against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich … but fans could face away ban after pyro shame
Brendan Rodgers insists Celtic have shown they can compete with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in a glamour Champions League play-off after falling just short of a heroic comeback against Aston Villa.
The Parkhead side finished 21st in the new-look league format following a thrilling 4-2 defeat at Villa Park – and will discover whether they face the reigning champions or German giants in Friday’s draw.
But Celtic fans could yet face a UEFA ban from travelling to the second leg in Madrid or Munich after a smoke bomb was thrown on to the pitch during last night’s game.
Rodgers’ men looked to be heading for another Dortmund-style thrashing when a Morgan Rogers double put Villa two up after five minutes.
They refused to lie down, however, and Adam Idah shocked Unai Emery’s side by pulling the visitors level with two goals in two minutes.
Ollie Watkins restored Villa’s lead on the hour mark, before the England striker suffered a horror penalty miss, and Rogers sealed his hat-trick in stoppage time to secure Villa’s place in the top eight who automatically qualify for the last 16.
Adam Idah’s second goal makes it 2-2 all for Celtic but they fell just short at Villa Park
Irish striker Idah celebrates his quickfire double for the Scottish champions against Aston Villa
Brendan Rodgers hails Idah after his first goals for the club since November last year
Rodgers said: ‘The word that comes into my head at the moment right now is pride.
‘We were up against a team that’s been at the highest level of the Premier League, but we played with so much courage in the game.
‘We end up disappointed to lose. We played a big part in a really good game. We were really competitive at this level.
‘Aston Villa haven’t conceded a goal in their home games right through the Champions League.
‘We learned from that setback in Dortmund when we were well beaten on the night.
‘We have gone away to Atalanta and kept a clean sheet and we have come here tonight and we were in the game.
‘It’s Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round so that will be a huge challenge for us.
‘But we are building confidence at this level and showing that we are a team that can play and can work well and make it really difficult for the top teams.’
Idah pulled back the first goal for Celtic just when it looked like they were going to be thrashed
Morgan Rodgers was the hero for Villa with a superb hat-trick, including the third, above
Rogers picks up the match ball and celebrates reaching last 16 with team-mate Watkins
Watkins slipped and fell when he tried to convert a penalty for Aston Villa in second half
While Celtic missed out on an automatic slot in the last 16, Rodgers believes that a place in the play-offs is a ‘great reward’ for progress in Europe this season.
Asked about Idah, who claimed his first goals since November 30 in a stunning turnaround in the space of 145 seconds, Rodgers said: ‘He did really well. He obviously tired because he hasn’t played so much, but those were two big goals for him.
‘And how we created the goals was very good. His movement into the box, he has made a couple of runs and he has had to adjust to finish.
‘The second one is a great team goal when he was in the box for the square pass and made the finish.
‘So he was a handful on the night and that will be big for his confidence.’
There was also a major downside for Celtic, however, with the issue of pyrotechnics hanging over them once again.
UEFA are set to look into an incident after Idah’s first goal in the 36th minute when a smoke bomb was thrown on to the pitch from the Celtic section of the ground where 2,100 fans were housed.
The club were fined earlier in the season after fans set off pyros during their defeat in Dortmund last October.
The England striker’s effort went embarrassingly over the bar, but Villa still prevailed in 4-2 win
Rodgers was pleased with Celtic’s display and feels they can compete with Madrid or Munich
Rodgers has a hug with Aston Villa captain John McGinn after a Euro thriller in Birmingham
Celtic were warned that a repeat within two years could result in a one-match ban on travelling fans, and that could yet result in Celtic having no fans in Madrid or Munich.
The Parkhead club are now awaiting the report of the UEFA delegate.
Rodgers declined to talk about the issue after the game, saying only: ‘I’m not even thinking about that, I’m just thinking about football.’
Celtic will play the first leg at home on February 11 or 12.
Meanwhile, Manchester United left-back Tyrell Malacia features on a list of Celtic loan options if they fail to land Kieran Tierney from Arsenal before the transfer deadline.
The Old Trafford giants are willing to listen to proposals for 25-year-old Dutchman Malacia after wrapping up a deal for Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu.
Malacia only returned from a serious knee injury in November following an 18-month spell on the sidelines.
