Celtic Draws Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa in Champions League

Celtic is actively pursuing a loan deal for West Ham midfielder Andy Irving, who is also attracting interest from clubs in Austria and Spain, particularly as West Ham prepares to sign Carlos Soler. Meanwhile, Celtic has been drawn into a challenging 24/25 Champions League campaign, facing teams like Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Aston Villa, marking their first encounter with a Premier League club since 2017. The revamped format of the Champions League will feature a single league of 36 teams, where each will play eight matches, four at home and four away, with the top eight advancing directly to the knockout stage. The fixtures for this season's league phase will commence on September 17-19, with Celtic looking to secure enough points to progress. Brendan Rodgers' side will host matches against Club Brugge, Young Boys, Slovan Bratislava, and Leipzig, while traveling to face Dortmund, Villa, Atalanta, and Dinamo Zagreb. The anticipation around both Irving's potential transfer and Celtic's Champions League draw highlights a pivotal moment for the club.