Unai Emery has called Celtic a “very prestigious club” ahead of the Champions League clash on Wednesday night.
Celtic head into their final Champions League group-stage clash against Aston Villa on Wednesday night with everything still to play for.
Both sides are already guaranteed a playoff spot, but a win at Villa Park could see either team secure an automatic place in the top eight and bypass the playoffs altogether, albeit other results will have to go Celtic’s way.
This is the first-ever meeting between Celtic and Aston Villa, two clubs with storied histories and one shared achievement: lifting the European Cup.
Celtic famously triumphed in 1967 under Jock Stein, becoming the first British club to win Europe’s premier competition. Villa followed 15 years later, defeating Bayern Munich in the 1982 final.
Villa manager Unai Emery acknowledged Celtic’s European pedigree during his pre-match press conference. [Aston Villa]
“Of course, they [Celtic] are a very prestigious club, they’ve won the Champions League as well. We are excited and motivated to enjoy with our supporters in this way.
“They have very experienced players, international players and are going to play tomorrow here feeling confident. The club is a prestigious club and the players feel they are a team to play in Europe, the Champions League.”
If Celtic are to get to the round of 16, they will need to do so without Kyogo, who was sold to Rennes on Monday, and potentially Cameron Carter-Vickers, who missed training on Tuesday.
Jota put pen to paper on Monday, sealing his return to Celtic 18 months after leaving for Saudi Arabia. He won’t be able to play against Aston Villa but could be registered for the next round of games, whether that be the knockout round or the last 16.
