Aston Villa and Celtic began their Champions League campaigns just as the fans would have dreamt it.
Unai Emery watched Villa cruise past Young Boys in Switzerland on Tuesday night, whilst their soon-to-be opponents thrashed Slovan Bratislava on home soil.
Villa fought tooth and nail to get into the Champions League last season, and when the draw was being made in August, everyone made sure to leave space in their calendar to watch it unfold.
Everyone had their dream ties, John McGinn wanted Real Madrid, but who doesn’t?! After all, they are the champions and the biggest club side in the world.
From Bayern Munich to Barcelona, all the dream ties were coming in, but another popular pick was a possible all-British battle with Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers is in charge of the Scottish champions and then the draw was made, fans on both sides were ecstatic with the meeting.
Of course, there are a lot of talking points here. Rodgers returning to England, but the biggest one of them all, McGinn playing against his boyhood club.
Thierry Henry was discussing Celtic’s side of the draw and how they don’t have to play the ‘big, big names’ this season, with Borussia Dortmund away their toughest test.
But Jamie Carragher reminded the legendary striker about the Aston Villa game and how he is expecting a ‘big atmosphere’ at Villa Park for matchday eight, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (18/09/24 at 10:30 pm).
Aston Villa v Celtic in the Champions League
“You (Celtic) are playing at Dortmund, at Atalanta, then you have Club Brugge, Leipzig at home,” said Henry. “I am not saying Dinamo will be easy. Young Boys. You don’t have, you have Dortmund who went to the final, but you don’t have the big, big names.”
Carragher then pointed out: “Celtic and Villa will be a big atmosphere, won’t it?! Matchday eight. Wow.” Henry then added: “Yeah, it should be.”
John McGinn leading Aston Villa out in the Champions League
It’s fitting that McGinn is leading Villa out in Europe’s elite competition.
When he first joined the club in 2018 from Hibernian, they were in the Championship and looking to make a return to the promised land.
McGinn would score the winning goal in the play-off final, the club’s first goal back in the Premier League and now he is the captain on the biggest stage.
Yes, his family and friends will all be repping Celtic in January when they visit Villa Park, but it will still be an emotional occasion for the Scotland international and you can just see him scoring, can’t you!?
