Celtic and VfB Stuttgart will clash at Celtic Park on Thursday night in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off, with a spot in the last 16 at stake.
Celtic finished 21st in the league phase table, earning 11 points from eight matches with 13 goals scored and 15 conceded. Stuttgart placed 11th with 15 points and a goal difference of 15–9.
The teams have met only once before, during the last-16 of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup, which Celtic won across two matches on their way to the final.
Celtic vs VfB Stuttgart – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 19th February
- Kick-off: 8pm BST
- Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
- Last meeting: VfB Stuttgart 3-2 Celtic, UEFA Cup, 27th February 2003
Celtic team news
Celtic will miss several players for the match against Stuttgart. Left-back Adam Montgomery is out due to a calf issue, and right-back Alistair Johnston and midfielder Callum Osmand are sidelined with hamstring injuries until early March.
Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers and winger Jota are both long-term absentees, ruled out for the season with an Achilles and cruciate ligament injuries, respectively.
Belgian midfielder Arne Engels is also unavailable due to a thigh injury and is expected to return in a week or two.
Despite these setbacks, Celtic is likely to field a strong lineup. Kasper Schmeichel is expected to start in goal, with a defense of Julian Araujo, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, and Kieran Tierney. Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate will anchor the midfield, alongside Benjamin Nygren, who has been a key goal threat this season.
Up front, Tomas Cvancara, Chukwubuike Adamu, and Daizen Maeda are all contenders to start.
Before the match, O’Neill noted the challenge Stuttgart presents, calling them “exceptionally difficult” and emphasized the significance of Celtic Park’s atmosphere during important European matches.
VfB Stuttgart team news
Stuttgart also has its own injury concerns. Centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou, winger Justin Diehl, Lazar Jovanovic, and midfielder Nikolas Nartey are unavailable due to various muscle and fitness issues, while Luca Jaquez is sidelined with illness.
Nonetheless, coach Sebastian Hoeness retains a strong squad that finished as runners-up in the 2023–24 Bundesliga and remains a top contender this season, known for its effective attack and disciplined high press.
Goalkeeper Alexander Nübel is set to start behind a defense comprising Lorenz Assignon, Finn Jeltsch, Jeff Chabot, and Maximilian Mittelstädt. Atakan Karazor will provide defensive support from midfield, and Chema Andres will contribute to the attack.
Jamie Leweling and Chris Fuhrich are expected to support forwards Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic.
Form
Celtic
Celtic comes into this match unbeaten in their last ten games across all competitions, including five straight wins against Kilmarnock, Livingston, Dundee FC, Falkirk, and FC Utrecht.
The team has scored at least twice in each of its last five matches, including a 3–2 win over Kilmarnock in their latest league game.
VfB Stuttgart
Stuttgart’s recent form is strong as well, with five victories from their last six games across all competitions, including a 3–1 win against Köln in the Bundesliga and a 3–2 victory over Young Boys in the Europa League. They have performed especially well in Europe, winning all four home matches in the league phase, finishing with the joint-third best attack in the competition, scoring 15 goals.
Predicted lineups
Celtic: Schmeichel; Araujo, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor, Hatate; Adamu, Cvancara, Maeda
VfB Stuttgart: Nübel; Assignon, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstädt; Karazor, Andres; Leweling, Undav, Fuhrich; Demirovic
How to watch Celtic vs VfB Stuttgart?
In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.
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