What Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey said about Brendan Rodgers and why Celtic Champions League clash will be ‘intense’

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This evening’s Battle of Britain is sure to be 90 minutes of non-stop action.

Celtic fans will certainly be hoping so having already made the knockout playoff spots while Aston Villa punters are sure to be praying for a more comfortable night than they had last week at AS Monaco.

The Hoops do not often sit back and invite pressure, especially not a Brendan Rodgers Celtic side, so the expectation is that it should be an enthralling night of football.

Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey is one man who thinks the same.

The 23-year-old has already squared off against a Rodgers side in his Leicester City outfit a few years ago and he knows how the Irishman likes to set his teams up.

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Jacob Ramsey shares opinion on Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers

That is why the playmaker is not expecting an easy game against the Scottish Premiership giants tonight but instead a tactical chess match that should keep everyone on their toes.

“Playing against Brendan Rodgers before when he was at Leicester, they were a really technical team and they’ll want to make a statement against us,” he said.

“It will be an intense and physical game. I’m looking forward to it.”

Ramsey was then asked if he would anticipate a “basketball game” given the attacking nature of both teams.

Rodgers’ troops are runaway league leaders with plenty of goals this term while in the Champions League they have also hit the scoring trail in numerous fixtures so far.

Villa also like to play their game on the front foot but Ramsey feels the hosts will also look to dominate the ball.

What is likely to make the clash “intense”, though, is the fact that it is England vs Scotland on paper, at least.

Ramsey does not want a ‘basketball game’ vs Celtic

“Not too sure to be fair,” he said when asked about both teams attacking.

“We don’t like to play that basketball game to be fair. We like to control with good possession.

“Celtic will try and make an impression. They’ve already qualified, but England vs Scotland, it’s going to be a really intense and physical game.

“We don’t want it to be a basketball game.”