Aston Villa and Celtic will meet for the very first time; the Villans’ only previous European fixture against a fellow British club came in 2023-24 UEFA Conference League qualifying, winning 8-0 on aggregate against Hibernian.

Celtic have drawn each of their last three games against English opposition in the UEFA Champions League, drawing 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium with Manchester City in their most recent such game in December 2016.  

Only one Scottish side has ever won away from home against an English opponent in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, with Celtic themselves beating Leeds United in April 1970 (1-0). Since then, English sides have gone unbeaten across the seven such fixtures (W5 D2).

Celtic won their final game of the group stage in the UEFA Champions League last season (2-1 v Feyenoord), while they’ve never previously done so in back-to-back campaigns.

Celtic have qualified beyond the group stage/league phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2012-13. The Hoops have won three matches in the competition this term, last winning more in a European Cup/Champions League edition in 1973-74 (4), when they reached the semi-finals.

Aston Villa were beaten away to Monaco last time out in the UEFA Champions League (0-1). However, Unai Emery hasn’t lost consecutive games in the group/league phase of the competition since the 2015-16 campaign with Sevilla (Villa are the third side he’s managed in the competition since then).

Celtic have only won one of their last 21 away games in the UEFA Champions League (D5 L15), and are winless in 11 since beating Anderlecht in September 2017 (3-0). They have avoided defeat in the most recent two, though, drawing 0-0 against both Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has won nine of his 19 career meetings with Aston Villa (D4 L6), with Crystal Palace (10 wins) being the only English side he has recorded more victories over in the dugout.

Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are still looking for their first UEFA Champions League goals for Aston Villa (seven appearances each, 10 shots for Watkins, and 14 shots for Rogers). Indeed, the only player to attempt more shots without scoring than Morgan Rogers (14) in the competition this season is Milan’s Theo Hernández (15).

Based on the quality of shots on target faced (via xG on target), only Paulo Gazzaniga (+5.1) has prevented more goals than Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez in the UEFA Champions League this season (+4.7 – four conceded from 8.7 xGoT). Overall, the Argentinean has saved 31 of the 35 shots on target he’s faced this term (88.6%).