Aston Villa could face Jude Bellingham's Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals if they beat Paris Saint-Germain
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Updated 08:54, 20 Mar 2025
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers would love to face Jude Bellingham and Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final at Villa Park.
Villa and Rogers are set to face PSG in the quarter-finals of Europe’s biggest club competition next month, while Bellingham’s Madrid face Arsenal in the last eight.
Villa would face Madrid in the semi-finals if both teams progress to the last four.
Rogers and Bellingham are currently together on England duty and their friendship is rooted in local rivalry, with Bellingham's Birmingham City background and Rogers' history at West Brom and now Villa setting the stage for competitive banter.
"I don't think he'd (Bellingham) enjoy going to Villa Park much…,” said Rogers.
“He's played everywhere but he's never played at Villa Park. Yeah that would be good. We've obviously got a tie, he's got a tie, that we've got to get through first.
"PSG are one of the best teams I've seen this season, they blew everyone away against Liverpool, so that will be some game, some tie. I'm looking forward to it. They're the games you want to play in as a footballer."
Rogers and Bellingham share a history dating back to their under-15 days with England, where Bellingham was already playing up an age group, and Rogers recollects a memorable youth tournament clash between West Brom and Birmingham that remains a talking point.
Rogers fondly recalls: "I remember there was a floodlit tournament when we were Under-15s, I think. We had Birmingham in our group so we played them home and away. I remember that one vividly, I always bring it up to him. He's never beaten me!
"He's always had a mouth on him! But we've had a really good relationship and to be with him now is really nice.
"Our careers and paths have been completely different but always been in contact along the journey which is really nice and always been not far from each other where we grew up. It makes it a bit sweeter. It's really nice."
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