VfB Stuttgart secured their place in the Europa League round of 16, despite losing the return leg at home to Celtic Glasgow. While the Scottish team achieved a prestigious victory, ending Stuttgart's unbeaten home run, it was not enough to overturn the deficit from the first leg. The German team maintained their aggregate advantage and continues the fight for European silverware, joining the tournament's best sixteen teams.

Stuttgart's advance despite loss

The German team lost at home to Celtic, but the aggregate result allowed them to advance to the round of 16.

End of home unbeaten run

The defeat to the Glasgow team was VfB Stuttgart's first lost match in front of their home crowd this season.

Lille dominates over Belgrade

The French team eliminated Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, winning the tie thanks to goals including those from Olivier Giroud.

The battle for a place in the Europa League round of 16 ended in success for VfB Stuttgart, though Thursday evening's events were full of tension for German fans. The team led by Sebastian Hoeneß had to concede superiority to Celtic Glasgow, losing in front of their home crowd. This was Stuttgart's first defeat at the Mercedes-Benz Arena this season, which media described as a "day of disappointment that still brought joy" due to the ultimate success in the two-legged tie. The German club managed to defend the advantage built in the first match, allowing them to stay in the hunt for continental honors. VfB Stuttgart is a five-time German champion which in recent years underwent a period of deep restructuring, returning to the European elite after a successful 2023-2024 Bundesliga season.The Scottish players, despite ultimately saying goodbye to the tournament, managed to write their names into the history books. The win in Germany was an act of sporting pride for them, and media in the British Isles emphasize that the team "leaves with their heads held high." Celtic needed a high-scoring victory to dream of reversing the tie's outcome, but despite goals scored and solid defensive play, the gap separating them from Stuttgart after the first leg proved too large to overcome. For the fans from Glasgow, the victory on the Bundesliga opponent's turf will remain one of the most important moments of the season in European cups. In other matches of this stage, Crvena Zvezda Belgrade also suffered defeat, being eliminated by French side Lille. Marko Arnautović played for the Serbian team, but his efforts were not enough to stop the in-form French side, in which veteran Olivier Giroud played a key role. Simultaneously, Bologna advanced to the next round, confirming the strong form of Italian teams in the current competition cycle. Thursday's matches showed the dominance of clubs from the top 5 leagues, though the fighting spirit of teams with smaller budgets, like Celtic, added the necessary drama to the competition. The Europa League was born in 2009 as the successor to the UEFA Cup, whose history dates back to 1971, serving as a platform for clubs aspiring to advance to the financial elite of the Champions League.For VfB Stuttgart, advancing to the tournament's best sixteen is the realization of the minimum goal set before the season. This success has not only a sporting but also a financial dimension, allowing the club to stabilize its budget thanks to TV rights revenue and UEFA bonuses. Fans in Germany now hope for a favorable draw that will allow their favorites to avoid the strongest rivals in the knockout phase. Nevertheless, the defeat to Celtic is a warning signal for the upcoming rounds, where the margin for error will be even smaller, and any moment of loss of concentration could result in definitive elimination from the competition.

Mentioned People

  • Olivier Giroud — Lille striker who contributed to the elimination of Crvena Zvezda Belgrade.
  • Marko Arnautović — Crvena Zvezda Belgrade player whose team was eliminated from the competition after the match against Lille.