Morgan Rogers scored a hat-trick to help Aston Villa beat Celtic 4-2 in the final round of Champions League fixtures within the 36-team league and help secure a top-eight spot. (More Sports News)
Rogers got off to a brilliant start at Villa Park, netting the 🍰f🌱irst two of his goals inside the opening five minutes to get the hosts up and running.
The first goal saw him turn in from close range, while the second was a lovely dipping shot that went 🍸beyond Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
But Scottish side Celtic also had something to play for, with an outside shout of a top-eight spot themselves, and hauled themselves back into the game remarkably. Adam Idah🔴 stunned the home crowd with his 🎃own two-minute salvo to get the visitors level.
Idah's goal♌s game in the 36th and 38th minutes to make it 2-2 and this breathless encounter roared back into life in the second half, with Ollie Watkins restoring Aston Villa's lead on the hour.
Watkins had a chance to make it 4-2 just four minutes later, but stuck a penalty overꦏ the bar to make it a nervy end to the match.
Rogers, though, managed to get his hat-trick in stoppage time, meaning that Aston Villa finish eighth in thඣe league stag🍸e and bypass the play-off round.
Data debrief: Brilliant Rogers inspires Villa
Rogers' goals here took his tally to 10 in all competitio💎ns, while it was also his first career hat-t🐎rick.
Watkins, meanwhile, ha⛦s now failed to score two of his last four penalties for Aston Villa.
For Celtic, it was also a night of history as Adam Idah became the first Celtic player to score at least🌳 two goals in an away game in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League since Johannes Edvaldss♚on and Robert Lennox both netted braces against Jeunesse d'Esch in September 1977.
