Celtic staged a brave second half comeback to earn a draw against Aston Villa that keeps alive their hopes of progressing in the Next Gen Series.
With four games Celtic have picked up four points but are only two points behind PSV Eindhoven who lost 4-2 tonight to Sporting Lisbon.
Celtic’s remaining matches are away to Sporting and PSV with Group 4 shaping up as a three way contest to join Sporting in the next round with just two points separating the three other sides.
Just like the corresponding game at Villa Park the Premiership side went in at the break two goals up but after the interval an own goal from Daniel Devine and a header from Patrik Twardzik drew Celtic level.
The first real chance of the game fell to Bahrudin Atajic but his touch was too heavy as he raced onto a through ball and was unable to get a shot on target after rounding the keeper.
Villa had a slight edge in terms of possession and took the lead in the 24th minute with a flashing header from Jordan Graham that struck Glen Daniels left hand post then slipped over the line.
Two minutes from the interval the visitors doubled their lead when Michael Drennan headed powerfully into the net from 10 yards out following Liam Bateman’s cross from the right.
Celtic had two good chances early in the second half but Stuart Findlay saw his close range effort from an Atajic cross fly over the bar in the 47th minute, five minutes later Joe Chalmers headed over from an inviting Darnell Fisher cross.
The goal that Celtic were searching for arrived in the 53rd minute when Daniel Devine headed a Patrik Twardzik cross into his own net under pressure from Atajic.
There was an extra spring about the way Celtic were playing compared to the tame first half display with Twardzik heading the equaliser in the 72nd minute after running on to a great cross from Chalmers.
CELTIC 2- 2 ASTON VILLA (Devine og 53, Twardzik 72)
CELTIC: Daniels; Fisher, Fraser, Findlay, Chalmers: Kidd, Lindsay, Irvine, P Twardzik, Atajic: Johnstone (Kirwan 85)
SUBS: , Miller, Hart, McNally, McMullan, McManus, Henderson
ASTON VILLA: Hill, Bateman, Lewis, Lyden, Devine, Watkins-Clark, Graham, Ward, Drennan, Carruthers, Grealish
SUBS: Barton, Barrett, Crowley, Dempsey, Strain, Calder, Cowans
