Football betting tips: Champions League
1pt Morgan Rogers 1+ assists at 4/1 (BoyleSports)
BuildABet @ 15/1
- Morgan Rogers 1+ assists
- Celtic 5+ corners
- Alistair Johnston to commit 2+ fouls
Celtic knew the importance of a positive result in their meeting with Young Boys last week. Anything less than victory left them extremely vulnerable to elimination from this competition.
Loris Benito's own goal became a significant moment in their recent history. It guaranteed them progression beyond the League Stage and they have a chance of a top eight finish, although that chance is so slim that we're talking as close to certain as we possibly can be on a place in the play-offs.
A win carried greater importance on the penultimate matchday as they knew a trip to face Aston Villa awaited. While they haven't hit the heights of last season, a win here could secure them a spot in that top eight.
Even without a win across their last three, they can be confident of doing what is required to make that automatic progression happen. Villa Park has been a fortress and the signs point to maximum returns.
What are the best bets?
Unai Emery will go as strong as possible here as they chase victory - he has little other option.
That should mean a start for MORGAN ROGERS again and the 4/1 price on 1+ ASSISTS is certainly big enough to grab the attention, as is the 3s and above elsewhere.
The attacking midfielder has created 12 chances for teammates in this competition so far - that is the most of any player within the Villa squad.
Despite this, he only has one assist on his tally. In the Premier League, it's four, but again it should have been more based on his own creativity.

In England's top-flight, Youri Tielemans' 43 chances is the only figure higher among Villa players than Rogers' 30. Six of the seven Champions League outings have delivered at least one chance for others with four in each of their wins over Bologna and Young Boys.
Villa should see opportunities, as good as Celtic's European campaign has been. They conceded seven in a hammering in Dortmund while managing a clean sheet despite Atalanta creating chances worth 2.38 expected goals (xG) in the 0-0 draw.
Considering Villa are a best price of 8/15 to score at least twice, there is value in taking Rogers based on season-long performances to have some involvement.
Team news
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Aston Villa remain without Ross Barkley and John McGinn, while injuries to Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres gives Emery a problem at centre-back.
January additions Andrés García and Donyell Malen are ineligible to feature until the next round of the competition.
The same applies to Jota who re-joined Celtic this week.
The Scottish champions are without Daizen Maeda following his late red card in the win over Young Boys. Kyogo Furuhashi's move to Rennes means they will be operating with a changed forward three from that contest.
Predicted line-ups
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Digne, Maatsen; Tielemans, Kamara; Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
Celtic XI: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Idah, Hyun-Jun.
Match facts
- 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%).
Odds correct at 1530 GMT (28/01/25)
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