Villa's Last Chance for Champions League Last 16 in ‘Battle of Britain’ with Celtic

BIRMINGHAM, Jan 28 — Aston Villa faces a must-win clash against Celtic tomorrow to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16. With Villa sitting ninth, one point behind eighth-place Bayer Leverkusen, a win is crucial to avoid the nerve-wracking play-offs.

Unai Emery’s side were hoping to seal their spot after a potential victory over Monaco, but a surprise 1-0 defeat left them in a tight spot. Defender Tyrone Mings remains confident his team can handle the pressure, despite suffering a knee injury in their 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Celtic, guaranteed a play-off spot, will push for a higher finish after beating Young Boys 1-0. Brendan Rodgers’ side, unbeaten in five European matches, is determined to prove their strength after a heavy 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund.

Celtic will be without key players, including Daizen Maeda (suspended) and Kyogo Furuhashi (transferred to Rennes), but are bolstered by the return of Jota, who is not eligible for tomorrow's match.

As tensions rise between English and Scottish clubs, West Midlands police are preparing for potential crowd trouble following the recent Manchester United vs Rangers Europa League clash, which saw 39 arrests.