Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has reacted to the Hoops’ 4-2 defeat against Aston Villa tonight in the Champions League, with Brendan Rodgers’ potential opponents in the knockout play-offs revealed.

Celtic ultimately finished the league phase in 21st place, with the Hoops set to face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich on February 11th or 12th at Celtic Park. The draw is set to take place on Friday at 11 AM.

With Sutton reflecting on what was a hard-fought game from Celtic, having gone 2-0 down after just four minutes, it looked to be yet another European away performance to forget. Instead, it was a night where Celtic did Scotland proud in Europe, with Adam Idah’s brace, in particular, the real highlight.

Well played Aston Villa. Morgan Rogers unplayable at times. What a player he is👏👏 Loved Celtic’s comeback and this Champions League campaign. A sign of progress and maturity. Just Real Madrid or Bayern Munich up next🍀

— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) January 29, 2025

Celtic did lose the game in the end, but there are positives to build on. Add Cameron Carter-Vickers and Daizen Maeda to the starting XI, along with Jota, the potential arrival of Kieran Tierney, and a new striker, and you have a side that may not make it out of the knockout play-offs but certainly won’t go down without a fight.

Morgan Rogers was a standout for Villa; however, Kasper Schmeichel certainly showed why most still consider him to be a world-class goalkeeper. He has played a huge role in Celtic reaching the knockout play-offs, and tonight was no different. His ability to stop goals is something the Hoops have lacked over the last decade.

With a new Celtic contract signed until the summer of 2026, Schmeichel is set to have another year at the club. His attitude of never giving up, even when a goal seems certain, shows the confidence he brings to the Hoops’ back four. They don’t always cover themselves in glory, but they know the Dane can often bail them out.