VfB Stuttgart has taken a significant step towards securing a spot in the Europa League Round of 16 for the first time in 13 years, following a dominant 4:1 away victory over Scottish champions Celtic Glasgow. The impressive performance at Celtic Park saw Moroccan talent Bilal El Khannouss net a crucial brace, with further goals from Jamie Leweling and Tiago Tomás sealing a comfortable win. This emphatic result provides Stuttgart with a strong advantage heading into the playoff return leg next Thursday, raising hopes for a deep run in the competition.
Despite the famed “extraordinary atmosphere” of Celtic Park, the German side remained composed and focused, executing their game plan effectively. El Khannouss opened the scoring in the 15th minute and added his second in the 28th, silencing the passionate home crowd. Celtic’s brief moment of joy came through Benjamin Nygren’s equalizer in the 21st minute, capitalizing on a rare and unfortunate defensive error by Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor at the edge of his own penalty area. However, this was quickly overshadowed by Stuttgart’s relentless attacking prowess.
VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß lauded his team’s clinical finishing, a quality he noted had been missing in previous outings. “Today we showed what we have lacked so far: efficiency,” Hoeneß stated post-match. He expressed satisfaction with the deserved victory, adding, “Whether it had to be so high, I don’t know, but I don’t care either.” The coach’s comments underscore a newfound sharpness in front of goal, which propelled Stuttgart to this vital European success. Leweling’s strike in the 57th minute and Tomás’s late goal in injury time (90.+3) further solidified the commanding lead.
With a three-goal cushion, VfB Stuttgart is now firmly in control of their Europa League destiny. Should they successfully navigate the return leg, the DFB-Pokal winners would face a tough challenge against either FC Porto or Sporting Braga from Portugal in the Round of 16. This potential matchup promises exciting encounters as Stuttgart aims to re-establish itself on the European stage. Meanwhile, fellow Bundesliga representative SC Freiburg has already secured direct qualification to the last 16, highlighting a strong season for German clubs in the Europa League.
