Aston Villa had done their bit, albeit not without a struggle, and now all they could do was wait. Morgan Rogers, fresh from completing his hat-trick in stoppage time, was among the Villa players huddled around the phone of the fitness coach Moisés Del Hoyo praying Atalanta would not find a winner in Barcelona and divert Villa’s course. Everyone was jostling for a view. With the final whistle looming here, Unai Emery was busy relaying the latest to Leon Bailey, explaining how Villa would have to settle for a playoff next month if the Serie A side scored.
Just as everybody had got to grips with the small print of the permutations, au fait with others’ goal difference, Villa Park released a communal cheer and the players dispersed. Villa had secured a place in the top eight and succeeded where Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain had failed.
Written by Ben Fisher at Villa Park
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/29/aston-villa-celtic-champions-league-match-report under the title “Morgan Rogers hat-trick takes Aston Villa past Celtic and into last 16”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
