ASTON VILLA stars faced an anxious wait following their dramatic win over Celtic on Wednesday night.
Players crowded around a coach’s phone to watch results come in from the evening’s other Champions League matches.
GettyAston Villa’s players nervously checked results from elsewhere on Wednesday night[/caption]
GettyThe Premier League side qualified for the last-16 in the final spot[/caption]
GettyMorgan Rogers netted a brilliant hat-trick as Unai Emery’s men beat Celtic[/caption]
GettyThe campaign is Villa’s first in the competition since 1982[/caption]
Villa began the night in the qualification spots for the last-16 of the competition.
The top 8 sides in the revamped Champions League table head straight into the knockouts without the need for a playoff.
A brilliant hat-trick from Morgan Rogers helped Villa to all three points.
But they were forced into an agonising wait to see if Atalanta could steal a winner against Barcelona.
A goal for the Serie A side would have seen them leapfrog Villa into the top 8, relegating Unai Emery‘s side into the playoff on goal difference.
Barcelona held on, resulting in jubilant scenes both on the field and terraces at Villa Park.
They will now face either Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon or Club Brugge in the last-16.
One fan wrote on X: “The Villa and Brugge players crowding round their phones waiting for the results like they’ve found out they’ve survived relegation from League One has made me indescribably happy.”
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Another said: “Aston Villa players gathered around iPad checking Atalanta score was fantastic.”
While a third added: “That reaction to Villa finding out they are through to the round of 16 is class. Full stadium and players going mental in unison quality stuff.”
Villa were rocked earlier in the day after Arsenal tabled a £60million bid for talisman Ollie Watkins.
The England striker was on the scoresheet at Villa Park, just hours after the bid was rejected.
But he also missed a penalty in calamitous fashion as Emery’s men squeaked into the last-16.
Watkins blew his chance with Villa leading 3-2 on the night.
But the Three Lions striker shanked his effort high into the Holte End, giving away a freekick in the process for kicking the ball twice.
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