Post-match reaction: Callum McGregor and Adam Idah

Celtic produced a battling performance against a strong Aston Villa side on Wednesday, eventually going down 4-2 to the English Premier League side.

The Hoops had already secured their knockout play-off place ahead of the match at Villa Park, and they now await Friday’s draw when they will discover their opponents – either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.

Brendan Rodgers’ side scored twice against Aston Villa, with two quick-fire Adam Idah cancelling out two early goals from Morgan Rogers, and it was the first Champions League goals Aston Villa have conceded at home this season, following games against Juventus, Bayern Munich and Bologna.

And both the Celtic goalscorer and captain gave their reaction to the match when they spoke to Celtic TV.

Callum McGregor

‘We recovered really well and showed the quality and character to get back into the game. We pushed them right to the end, so I’m proud of the players in terms of their reaction and the courage they showed to play.

‘I thought Adam was outstanding. They were really good goals and he worked really hard for the team. Obviously, strikers want goals so he’ll feel a lot better about himself after that, but he was excellent for the team, setting the pressure and he was a real outlet for the team as well.’

Adam Idah

‘It was obviously pleasing for me to get the two goals and get the team back. It was a tough game and we dug deep and did well. That’s the level we want to be at, playing against top teams, and we’ve learnt a lot from the game and we push on now.

‘We have to have a lot of belief and confidence in ourselves to go as far as we can, and we’re very excited for the next couple of games and hopefully we can do well.’

Fixtures

Aston Villa Vs. Celtic - Wed, Jan 29th 2025, 20:00 Final score: 4 - 2