Why VfB Stuttgart will advance against Celtic in the UEFA Europa League
After cruising to a 4-1 first-leg win in Glasgow, VfB Stuttgart have their sights set on reaching the UEFA Europa League round of 16 at Celtic's expense. We take a look at why Sebastian Hoeneß's charges can expect to advance.
Recap the action from Stuttgart's first-leg victory HERE!
Stuttgart in sensational form
Stuttgart are among Germany's most in-form teams, having won eight of their 12 encounters since the winter break. Including the club's final three games of 2025, they have won 10 of their last 15, losing just twice.
This strong run has kept Stuttgart firmly in contention for UEFA Champions League qualification, as well as seeing Die Schwaben reach the Europa League knockout phase and DFB Cup semi-finals.
Watch: Stuttgart start 2026 in style
Firing on all cylinders
Stuttgart's recent good form has come hand-in-hand with a magnificent purple patch in front of goal. VfB have found the net 29 times across 12 matches in 2026, with Deniz Undav, Ermedin Demirović, Jamie Leweling and Chris Führich all heavily involved.
Though not on target at Celtic Park, Germany striker Undav has been on fire of late, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists since the turn of the year.
Watch: Every Undav goal this season
Leweling, meanwhile, has five goals and two assists and is currently playing some of the best football of his career.
Stuttgart's fluid attacking options proved a real handful for Celtic in the first leg. With Bilal El Khannouss and Tiago Tomás also among the goals in Glasgow, Martin O'Neill's side can expect more of the same in the return game.
Watch: Leweling's Stuttgart best bits
Hoeneß at the wheel
Now approaching his three-year anniversary in charge at the MHP Arena, 43-year-old Hoeneß has brought much-needed stability to VfB's performances. His players are used to his methods and trust them; as a result, Stuttgart operate in harmony more often than not.
Furthermore, Hoeneß gets results. A runners-up finish in the Bundesliga in 2024 and last year's DFB Cup triumph are remarkable achievements, while he has a 57.8 percent win rate across his 135 games in charge so far. That rises to 66.7 percent in the Europa League this term.
In short, Hoeneß tends to find a way more often than not.
Celtic's European struggles
The last time Celtic made it through a knockout tie in a European competition proper was in 2004, when they reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup (the modern Europa League).
Moreover, the Bhoys generally have a poor record against German opposition, having won just five of 33 meetings. They have also never won an away game in Germany in 16 attempts.
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