Celtic and VfB Stuttgart meet at Celtic Park on Thursday night in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off, with a place in the last-16 on the line.
The Bhoys finished 21st in the league phase table with 11 points from eight games, scoring 13 and conceding 15, while Stuttgart ended 11th with 15 points and a 15–9 goal difference.
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The two sides have only met once before, in the last-16 of the 2002/03 Uefa Cup, which Celtic won over two legs on their way to that season’s final.
Ahead of the game, Martin O’Neill stressed both the scale of the test and the importance of Parkhead’s atmosphere, describing Stuttgart as “exceptionally difficult” opponents but insisting Celtic has been “built on big European nights” and must embrace the challenge.
Celtic vs VfB Stuttgart– Match preview and team news
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Date: Thursday, 19th February
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Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
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Last meeting: VfB Stuttgart 3-2 Celtic, Uefa Cup, 27th February 2003
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Celtic team news
Celtic are without a cluster of players as they prepare for the visit of Stuttgart. Left-back Adam Montgomery is sidelined with a calf problem, while right-back Alistair Johnston and midfielder Callum Osmand are both out with hamstring and tendon injuries until early March.
Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers and winger Jota are longer‑term absentees, each ruled out for the remainder of the season with Achilles and cruciate ligament injuries respectively, further limiting O’Neill’s options at the back and in wide areas.
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Belgian midfielder Arne Engels is also sidelined due to his thigh injury and is expected to be back in one or two weeks.
Even so, Celtic are expected to field a familiar core. Kasper Schmeichel should continue in goal behind a back four of Julian Araujo, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and Kieran Tierney, with Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate anchoring midfield alongside Benjamin Nygren, who has emerged as a key goal scoring threat this season.
Up front, Tomas Cvancara, Chukwubuike Adamu and Daizen Maeda are all in contention to start.
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VfB Stuttgart team news
Stuttgart also travel with selection issues of their own. Centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou, winger Justin Diehl, Lazar Jovanovic, and midfielder Nikolas Nartey are all listed as unavailable through various muscle, tendon and fitness problems, while Luca Jaquez is out with illness.
Even so, Sebastian Hoeness retains the core of a side that finished runners‑up in the 2023–24 Bundesliga and is again in the top four this season, underpinned by a potent attack and a well-drilled high press.
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Goalkeeper Alexander Nübel is set to start behind a back four of Lorenz Assignon, Finn Jeltsch, Jeff Chabot and Maximilian Mittelstädt, with Atakan Karazor shielding the defence from midfield and Chema Andres offering progression.
Further forward, Jamie Leweling and Chris Fuhrich are expected to support Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic.
Form
Celtic: WWWWW
Celtic come into this tie unbeaten in their last ten matches in all competitions, a run that includes five consecutive wins over Kilmarnock, Livingston, Dundee FC, Falkirk and FC Utrecht.
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Martin O’Neill’s side have scored at least twice in each of their last five outings, including a 3–2 victory over Kilmarnock in their recent league outing.
VfB Stuttgart: WWWLW
Stuttgart’s recent form is similarly impressive, with five wins from their last six games in all competitions, including a 3–1 Bundesliga victory over Köln and a 3–2 Europa League success against Young Boys. They have been particularly strong in Europe, winning all four of their home games in the league phase and finishing with the joint‑third best attack in the competition on 15 goals.
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Predicted lineups
Celtic: Schmeichel; Araujo, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor, Hatate; Adamu, Cvancara, Maeda
VFB Stuttgart: Nubel; Assignon, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Andres; Leweling, Undav, Fuhrich; Demirovic
How to watch Celtic vs VFB Stuttgart?
In the UK, Celtic vs VfB Stuttgart will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.
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