Celtic show maturity at Villa but smoke bomb puts their fans under a cloud | Ewan Murray
Celtic show maturity at Villa but smoke bomb puts their fans under a cloud | Ewan Murray
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Players showed they are no longer European cannon fodder but supporters’ actions at Villa Park could trigger a ban on them travelling to Madrid or Munich. As meaningful Champions League progress arrives, the pity for Celtic’s supporters is that they may be denied the chance to see their team compete in the flesh at that stage.
![[Adam Idah scores his second to level the score at 2-2.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b25ea1b3ee6169e005de28a0ce7df14986f90aeb/0_85_2905_1743/master/2905.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Uefa issued a suspended ban on Celtic selling tickets for an away fixture in Europe in response to the lighting of fireworks during the hammering at Borussia Dortmund. Should Uefa deem a smoke bomb, tossed on to the Villa Park playing surface during celebrations for Adam Idah’s first goal, triggers that sanction then no Celtic fans will travel to Munich or Madrid next month. Ouch. So much depends on the report submitted by Adrian Casha, Uefa’s delegate at this game. Celtic are praying for leniency.
Celtic can enter the playoff tie with confidence, buoyed by their reaction to Aston Villa’s early onslaught. Villa emerged victorious and deservedly so but there were aspects to Celtic’s performance that further demonstrated a maturity at European football’s elite level. There should be a morale boost after making this match far more tetchy for Villa than it initially looked would be the case. Celtic’s players deserved the warm applause at full time that arrived from fans who hung around. That recognition was for an entire campaign, yielding 12 points and featuring memorable matches. This was one of them. Celtic are worthy of praise for competing with a team of Villa’s standing. For too long, they had been European cannon fodder.
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