Celtic have four exciting Champions League matches left to tick off in the league phase of the competition, perhaps none more so than their trip to face Aston Villa on the final day.
Stiliyan Petrov is the first name that comes to mind when grouping the Bhoys and the Premier League outfit in the same context. During his playing career, the 45-year-old enjoyed brilliant seven-year spells in Glasgow and the West Midlands.
Once the Champions League draw had been concluded back in September, Petrov said his ‘excitement was unreal’ ahead of Celtic’s trip to Aston Villa, and no wonder when factoring in the magnitude of the occasion!
Come January next year; supporters will see two of the biggest clubs north and south of the border go toe-to-toe in a match that may hold significant permutations depending on outcomes before the clash takes place.
Of course, Celtic will hope to have secured a knockout playoff berth at the very least by then. Adding some spice to proceedings, Petrov has shared some intriguing insight on both sides.
Stiliyan Petrov discusses Celtic’s mouthwatering Aston Villa clash
Touching on the meeting of his two former clubs, Petrov believes Celtic have a raft of players who would feature for Aston Villa in the Premier League. He also indicated that a draw would suit him when the time comes, staying true to his split loyalties.
He explained [Football365]: “You’ve got Alistair Johnston. You’ve got Callum McGregor, who is an incredible midfielder. Maeda, not many teams would turn down his energy, the way he plays. Kyogo, the way he plays, he is very positive in his movement.
Hatate, he is really maturing, he’s getting stronger and stronger, scoring and creating goals, he is a box-to-box midfielder and you don’t see many midfielders like that at the moment. Many of those players can be in that (Aston Villa) team.
“I am looking forward to that game because there are two great managers, two attacking teams and I think it will be a cracking game because there is a lot of space to be exploited, a lot of speed, a lot of good technical players. I’m looking forward to that game.
“The way things are going, both teams will need points. Let’s take a point each and then both going through.”
Celtic seek to put themselves in Champions League hat
Before fans travel en masse down to Birmingham, Celtic face three Champions League clashes against Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb and Young Boys, which could go a long way to determining their fate.
Next Wednesday, Belgian Pro League champions Brugge travel to Glasgow on a night where a win for the hosts would more than likely secure progression, an unthinkable achievement at this stage last season.
Nevertheless, they should not be underestimated. In 2023/24, Nicky Hayen’s men made the Conference League semi-finals and have also enjoyed Champions League success of their own in recent years.
Despite this, Celtic’s back-to-back home wins in the competition against Slovan Bratislava and RB Leipzig have lifted the level of expectation at Parkhead. The onus is now on the Bhoys to deliver once again.
