Stuttgart Outclasses Celtic in Europa League Exit
A moment of absent-mindedness from Celtic manager Martin O’Neill, scanning the room for the Europa League final venue – Istanbul, May 20th – underscored a stark reality: his team’s European journey was destined to end much sooner. This year, the road for Celtic culminates not in a continental showpiece, but on German soil this Thursday, following a comprehensive defeat at the hands of a polished Stuttgart outfit.
There’s little room for complaint. Throughout the tie, Celtic were second best, never truly convincing the onlookers that they belonged in the latter stages of this prestigious competition. Stuttgart, demonstrating a slickness and ruthlessness in the crucial moments, proved to be a class above anything the Bhoys could muster.
The stark truth is that O’Neill’s squad simply lacked the quality to overcome their Bundesliga opponents. Had the German side, under Sebastian Hoeness, been in a more punishing mood, one suspects the margin of victory could have been even greater. Celtic’s sole moment of genuine joy in the tie stemmed from a defensive error, which gifted Benjamin Nygren a goal to momentarily level the first leg.
Stuttgart had drawn first blood early in the initial encounter through Bilal El Khannouss, and the Moroccan forward soon restored their advantage. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s positioning for El Khannouss’s first strike was questionable, amplifying existing concerns about his capabilities at this level. These worries were further cemented when Jamie Leweling added a third goal in the second half.
While one can sympathise with the 39-year-old Schmeichel, a once formidable keeper now seemingly past his prime, his struggles are indicative of a club that appears to have lost its knack for anticipating and addressing problems proactively. This was hardly the way Martin O’Neill would have wished to commemorate his 1,000th professional management game. A late fourth goal from Tiago Tomas in the first leg rendered the return fixture a mere formality.
This marked only Celtic’s second defeat in 19 matches across his two spells in charge this season, and it arrived without the team ever suggesting they possessed the grit or ability to conjure a dramatic comeback. Stuttgart, with good reason, were confident of securing progression with something to spare. They had navigated the group stage, finishing in 11th place, and had recently climbed to fourth in the Bundesliga.
O’Neill, facing the daunting task, had little choice but to field a strong side. Paulo Bernardo was the only player who might have been considered a surprise inclusion. When asked prior to the match if he would draw parallels with his side’s aggregate triumph against the same opponent back in 2003, the manager wryly joked that it would likely only elicit blank stares. Perhaps there was another, more fundamental reason: expecting the current Celtic squad to replicate the heroics of a team featuring legends like Henrik Larsson would verge on the absurd.
O’Neill’s hopes for a swift start were immediately dashed. Rumours of a protest by various supporter groups, reportedly over unresolved issues with the Parkhead hierarchy, were confirmed within seconds of kick-off. The pitch was inundated with dozens of tennis balls, causing a delay the manager could have done without.
Stuttgart, unfazed by the disruption, settled into the game far more quickly than Celtic. More comfortable on the ball, they dictated play, passing and probing to secure possession in dangerous areas, forcing the Scottish side to chase shadows. Tomas Cvancara, who had endured a challenging spell at Borussia Mönchengladbach, strived to make his mark against a familiar foe, but the service into him was infrequent and largely speculative.
Celtic’s play lacked control and imagination, and at times, Stuttgart appeared to be toying with them. The German defence was well aware of the threat posed by Daizen Maeda and Seb Tounekti on the flanks, consistently deploying a wall of red shirts to stifle their progress.
Despite the visitors dominating the early exchanges, the manner of Stuttgart’s opening goal was particularly galling for the Celtic manager. Schmeichel’s aimless clearance upfield saw Tounekti easily beaten in the air. Deniz Undav, displaying sharp awareness, rolled the ball into the path of El Khannouss. The forward executed neat footwork to create space for himself and, despite a relatively meek effort, managed to find the net past the Celtic keeper. It was a moment that, for the first time this season, the Danish keeper looked his age.
O’Neill’s men did rally briefly. Tounekti, dropping a shoulder, weaved in from the left, his shot brilliantly deflected by the stooping Josha Vagnoman. The Germans exuded such composure on the ball that gifting Celtic an equaliser seemed highly improbable. Yet, on 21 minutes, that’s precisely what transpired. Goalkeeper Alexander Nubel’s straightforward pass to Atakan Karazor lacked conviction, and Karazor’s attempt to control the ball was clumsy.
Nygren could hardly believe his fortune. Presented with the loose ball after his opponent stumbled, he rounded the keeper and slotted home his 17th goal of the season. This should have injected a surge of confidence into Celtic’s play, but instead, their performance remained plagued by cheap turnovers and unforced errors.
Cvancara’s mis-control 30 yards from goal immediately put his side on the back foot. Angelo Stiller’s whipped cross inadvertently struck the boot of Tounekti. It was a stroke of luck for the Germans. With Nygren slow to react, El Khannouss expertly planted a header into the back of the net. O’Neill implored his players to retain possession and attempt to build some coherent attacks, but it simply didn’t materialise. They huffed and puffed towards half-time, devoid of creativity or any serious goal threat. Bernardo stumbled over the ball at one point, but he was far from alone in his struggles.
When Auston Trusty missed a routine header, Stuttgart found themselves surging forward. Undav fed Leweling, whose effort flashed over the bar, much to the relief of the home supporters. Celtic desperately needed an injection of inspiration. Julian Araujo attempted to provide it with a barnstorming run that saw him bypass five opponents, but the move ultimately lacked the necessary support.
There was no sustained period of pressure from Celtic. On the balance of play, the third goal, which arrived on 57 minutes, was thoroughly deserved by the Germans. It originated from a fine move down the right flank, with the visitors carving Celtic apart with their incisive one-touch passing. Undav played a smart ball across the area to Leweling, whose shot from the edge of the box was decent but, again, Schmeichel was beaten far too easily.
The atmosphere threatened to turn toxic. Demirovic looked to have secured a fourth goal with a chip over the Dane, only for VAR to correctly spot an offside infringement. Nygren thought he had reduced the deficit to one, but Nubel produced a superb save to claw his strike away from the bottom corner. Any lingering hope of Celtic staging a comeback was extinguished deep into injury time. With the home defence caught static, Tomas broke through the line, controlled the ball, and found the top corner, completing a comprehensive schooling.
