Ermedin Demirović and VfB Stuttgart now have Celtic in their sights in the UEFA Europa League knockout play-offs. - © IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Wolfgang Frank

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Celtic vs. VfB Stuttgart: UEFA Europa League play-off LIVE blog and team news

10.02.2026

VfB Stuttgart are away at Celtic for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League knockout play-off tie on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CET).

Stuttgart are still going well on all three fronts this season, in the running for a top-six spot and European qualification in the Bundesliga, into the semi-finals of the DFB Cup and now looking to book their place in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Sebastian Hoeneß’s men finished the league phase in 11th place, just a point outside the top eight after a record of five wins and three defeats. They were only two points short of Bundesliga rivals Freiburg, who advanced straight to the knockout rounds.

Bilal El Khannouss is Stuttgart’s top scorer in Europe with three goals, Deniz Undav has netted two of his team-leading 15 goals this season in the competition.

Celtic needed a Matchday 8 win over Utrecht to secure their spot in the knockout play-offs, finishing 21st and just two points the right side of elimination in the league phase. Scotland’s champions have won three, drawn two and lost three of their fixtures in the Europa League, having lost their Champions League qualifier play-off on penalties to Kairat Almaty in August.

Why Stuttgart will advance against Celtic

Follow the first leg below!

Celtic

Thu, 19.02 20:00

Stuttgart

Europa League
Knockout play-off, first leg Knockout play-off, first leg Celtic Park, Glasgow

Mixed fortunes against Scottish clubs

Stuttgart have won five, drawn two and lost five of their 12 European meetings with Scottish opposition, with their last six all coming against Celtic's fierce Glasgow rivals, Rangers. The Bhoys, meanwhile, have won only five of their 32 games against German teams down the years.

2:03

Watch: St. Pauli 2-1 Stuttgart - Matchday 21 highlights

Head-to-head

These teams' only previous encounters came in the last 16 of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup. After a 3-1 defeat in Glasgow, Felix Magath's Stuttgart recovered from two goals down to lead 3-2 in the second leg, but they were unable to complete the turnaround as Celtic held on to progress to the quarter-finals.

Stuttgart - the story so far

Stuttgart finished 11th in the league phase, missing out on automatic qualification for the last 16 by a mere point. Sebastian Hoeneß's side won four of their last five league phase matches, but defeat against Roma on Matchday 7 would ultimately prove costly as the Serie A giants leapfrogged Stuttgart into the top eight.

Celtic - the story so far

Celtic advanced to the knockout play-offs in 21st place after a 4-2 home triumph over Utrecht on Matchday 8. That was one of just three wins Celtic enjoyed in the league phase, following on from victories over Feyenoord and Sturm Graz. Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren are the Hoops' top UEFA Europa League scorers this season with three goals each.

Hello and welcome!

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this UEFA Europa League knockout play-off first leg between Celtic and Stuttgart.