Stuttgart Holds Commanding Lead Heading into Europa League Return Leg Against Celtic

Stuttgart will face Celtic in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff tie on Thursday, carrying a substantial 4-1 lead from the first leg.

First Leg Dominance

Sebastian Hoeneß’s side secured a commanding victory in the first leg, winning 4-1 away from home. Bilal El Khannouss had a unhurried start to the new year, but he played a starring role with the first two goals in an efficient display by Stuttgart.

Recent Form

Despite their strong showing in the Europa League, Stuttgart recently dropped points in the Bundesliga, drawing 3-3 with Heidenheim. Deniz Undav’s late goal salvaged a point, but it represented a missed opportunity against the league’s bottom team.

Celtic’s Domestic Struggles

Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side faces a challenging schedule, including a Glasgow derby against Rangers on Sunday. They recently suffered a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian, leaving them in third place in the Scottish Premiership. Benjamin Nygren scored Celtic’s goal in that match, mirroring his goal in the first leg against Stuttgart.

What’s at Stake

The winner of the tie will advance to the Round of 16, where they will face either Braga or Porto. Freiburg is already confirmed to be involved in the draw for the next stage of the competition.

Team News

• Stuttgart: Jeff Chabot is unavailable due to suspension, while Lazar Jovanovic remains injured. Angelo Stiller, who was substituted late in the match against Heidenheim, trained without any issue according to Hoeneß.
• Celtic: Arne Engels is not currently in Celtic’s squad. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is not eligible for the Europa League roster as his signing occurred after the UEFA deadline.

Starting Lineups

Celtic: Schmeichel; Araujo, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor ©, Hatate; Yang, Maeda, Tounekti

Stuttgart: Nübel; Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Hendirks, Mittelstädt; Karazor ©, Stiller; Leweling, Undav, El Khannouss; Demirovic

“Celtic beat Stuttgart on their way to the 2003 UEFA Cup final under current boss Martin O’Neill but the 73-year-old’s focus will surely now be on the domestic campaign, even ahead of next week’s second leg in Germany.”

ESPN

Looking Ahead

Stuttgart enters the second leg with a significant advantage, but Celtic will be looking to mount a comeback in front of their home crowd. The outcome of this tie will determine which team progresses to the next stage of the Europa League.