CELTIC fans travelling south in their supporters’ buses for tonight’s Champions League clash against Aston Villa found themselves ‘welcomed’ with a shocking sectarian

Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is being targeted by Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr as Arsenal eye Ollie Watkins

Chris Blakemore talks to Celtic fans in the city for their game against Aston Villa.

Aston Villa are on the verge of accepting a bid for striker Jhon Duran, with the Birmingham club set to hit a transfer jackpot with the departure of the Colombia international striker.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has named his side to face Aston Villa in the final Champions League group phase game. The Scottish champions have already guaranteed themselves a place in at least the play-off phase of the elite competition but still have a slim chance of breaking into the top eight and taking direct entry to the last 16.

Scottish champions Celtic have already secured their place in the knockout play-offs after beating BSC Young Boys last week, while Villa lost 1-0 at AS Monaco. Brendan Rodgers is without Cameron Carter-Vickers through injury, while Daizen Maeda is suspended. Kyogo Furuhashi was sold to Stade Rennais earlier this week.

A short video showed pyro set off on Witton Road in Birmingham between Villa Park and the Witton train station where Celtic supporters arrived for the match. Footage showed Villa ultras holding up flags near the station before fireworks can be seen thrown between the rival supporters.

"Split loyalties" have been reported on a 14-seater minibus carrying Aston Villa captain John McGinn's family and friends down to Birmingham, where his team plays Celtic later. It's well known that proud Scot McGinn is a Celtic fan, and his brother Stephen said there were a few "poker faces" on the way down to the Midlands.

The former Villa striker knows Celtic will pose a tough Champions League test and the rewards on offer make it a must win for the Villains

Aston Villa face Celtic for the first time this evening in a Champions League ‘Battle of Britain’ at Villa Park.Though it’s the first encounter between the sides, there’s plenty of shared

Tom Parker, 40, has bowel cancer but has continued to attend matches during his chemotherapy treatment. He says tonight's game is the 'fixture of his dreams'. | ITV News Central

Celtic face Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening. The Scottish Champions have already qualified for the next phase of the UCL but could gain passage to Last 16 with a win in Birmingham.