VfB Stuttgart and Celtic face each other in the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off second leg on Thursday in Stuttgart.
Stuttgart leads after the first leg and aims to secure a win at MHPArena, while Celtic needs a significant comeback to continue their European journey.
VFB Stuttgart vs Celtic – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 26th February.
- Kick-off: 5:45pm BST.
- Venue: MHPArena, Stuttgart.
VFB Stuttgart Team News
Coach Sebastian Hoeness will be missing Lazar Jovanovic, Dan-Axel Zagadou, and Justin Diehl due to injuries. Jeff Chabot is suspended, restricting Stuttgart’s defensive options.
Midfielder Angelo Stiller is doubtful after sustaining a knee injury during the 3-3 Bundesliga draw at Heidenheim on Sunday.
Hoeness emphasized the importance of not underestimating the game despite their three-goal advantage. He confirmed the team will be chosen for optimal performance, saying, “we want to win the game and put in the best possible performance.”
Celtic Team News
Celtic still has several players unavailable due to injuries, including centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers, full-back Alistair Johnston, winger Jota, Adam Montgomery, midfielder Arne Engels, and youngster Callum Osmand.
After the first-leg loss, O’Neill admitted that Celtic made mistakes and conceded “poor” goals, acknowledging the difficulty in trying to reverse the tie against a strong Stuttgart team.
Form
VFB Stuttgart
Stuttgart is performing well in the 2025–26 season, currently fourth in the Bundesliga. The team has only lost two matches this year, scoring 26 goals and achieving three clean sheets, demonstrating their attacking strength and defensive improvements.
Celtic
Celtic needs to score at least four goals to have a chance of advancing, following a 4-1 loss in the first leg. The team is also coming off a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.
Predicted Lineups
Stuttgart: Nubel; Assignon, Jacquez, Jeltsch, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Andres; El Khannouss, Undav, Fuhrich; Demirovic.
Celtic: Schmeichel; Araujo, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Bernardo; Maeda, Nygren, Tounekti; Cvancara.
How to Watch VFB Stuttgart vs Celtic?
In the UK, VfB Stuttgart vs Celtic will be live on TNT Sports 2, with streaming available on Discovery+ for TNT Sports subscribers.
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