In the MHP‑Arena, VfB Stuttgart started the Europa League round of 16 under extremely unfavorable circumstances. Already in the first minute, Scotland’s Luke McCowan made it 1-0 for Celtic, and the game stayed at that score for the majority of the match.
Despite the early deficit, Stuttgart soon took over the tempo and dominated possession. Their attacks were, however, largely ineffective: Badredine Bouanani tested the Celtic keeper Viljami Sinisalo with a low shot, and Jamie Leweling missed a close‑range attempt. Celtic mainly defended and sent a few sporadic forward pushes.
After the halftime break, Stuttgart continued to dominate. The substitute Chris Führich brought fresh energy, and Celtic’s chances dwindled. In the 68th minute, Stuttgart celebrated what appeared to be an equaliser from Führich, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. A second contentious moment occurred in the 77th minute when Deniz Undav’s strike seemed to level the score, but it was likewise ruled offside because of a preceding position by Ermedin Demirovic.
In the final minutes, Stuttgart pressed on for a draw while the Celtic attack remained limited. On the opposition side, Sebastian Tounekti failed to convert a late chance against keeper Alexander Nübel.
The match finished 0‑1 to Celtic, but Stuttgart’s 4‑1 victory in the first leg secured an aggregate triumph of 4‑2, ensuring they progress to the last‑16 showdown.
