Aston Villa Eye Champions League Last 16 In 'Battle Of Britain' With Celtic
NDTV
Aston Villa have one last chance to seal automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 when they face Celtic in a crucial 'Battle of Britain' clash on Wednesday
Aston Villa have one last chance to seal automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 when they face Celtic in a crucial 'Battle of Britain' clash on Wednesday. Heading into the final round of league phase fixtures, Unai Emery's side sit ninth in the standings, with the top eight guaranteed to advance directly to the last 16. Teams who finish ninth to 24th will face a nerve-wracking play-off round that determines the final eight clubs to progress. Villa, who are one point behind eighth placed Bayer Leverkusen, will almost certainly have to beat Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic at Villa Park to avoid the play-offs.
They could have almost wrapped up a last 16 berth by beating Monaco last week, but instead slipped to a surprise 1-0 defeat against the Ligue 1 side.
Villa defender Tyrone Mings is confident his side can cope with the strain of such a critical match.
"It isn't pressure, it's something we deal with every time we step out on to the football pitch, that's no different. We enjoy it," Mings said.
"It's obviously a very big game next week, but they all are in their own way."
