Stuttgart Advances to UEL Round of 16

Sebastian Hoeneß’s VfB Stuttgart has successfully steered clear of the European misfortunes that befell Borussia Dortmund. Stuttgart secured their spot in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League for the 2025/26 season by defeating Celtic 4-2 on aggregate. This victory completed a mixed week for German teams still contending in European tournaments, following a playoff match against Martin O’Neill’s side on Thursday.

A Tale of Two German Teams

In contrast to Dortmund, who squandered a two-goal lead in their Champions League playoff against Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen maintained their aggregate advantage. They progressed past Olympiacos with a 0-0 draw at the BayArena on Tuesday. Additionally, three more German clubs have also kept their European hopes alive alongside Stuttgart and Leverkusen.

Clubs Bypassing Playoffs

Teams from the Bundesliga that successfully avoided playoffs include Bayern Munich (Champions League), Freiburg (Europa League), and Mainz (Conference League). Meanwhile, Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt have been eliminated from this season’s European competitions.

Stuttgart’s Early Stumble

Stuttgart fielded a significantly altered roster compared to the team that played at Parkhead last week. They conceded an early goal when Celtic’s Junior Adamu set up Callum McGregor just moments after kickoff. Before Stuttgart had settled into the match, the Scottish international capitalized on a defensive error and netted one goal for the visitors in under 30 seconds.

Dominance Without Reward

McGregor’s early strike turned out to be Celtic’s only shot on target in the first half. While Celtic initially showed resilience, Stuttgart took control of the match from the 10th minute onward, keeping their opponents pinned in their own half. Players Jamie Leweling, Badredine Bouanani, and Tiago Tomas each created several significant opportunities, yet Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, having stepped in for Kasper Schmeichel, managed to keep the scoreline at 0-1.

Disallowed Goals for Stuttgart

Chris Führich, who replaced Leweling at halftime, immediately posed a threat. He nearly assisted Bouanani just after the break and later believed he scored Stuttgart’s equalizer in the 68th minute, but it was ruled out due to offside. Deniz Undav also had a goal dismissed for the same reason in the 75th minute. Despite dominating the second half, Bouanani and Tomas missed golden opportunities to find the net.

The final score remained 0-1, yet Stuttgart was clearly the superior team throughout.

Player Ratings for VfB Stuttgart

• Alexander Nübel (5)
• Maximilian Mittelstädt (6)
• Luca Jaquez (4)
• Finn Jeltsch (5)
• Joscha Vagnoman (5)
• Chema Andres (5)
• Atakan Karazor (6)
• Jamie Leweling (7)
• Tiago Tomas (8)
• Badredine Bouanani (8)
• Deniz Undav (8)

Substitutes: Chris Führich (8), Ermedin Demirovic (7), Angelo Stiller (7), Ramon Henriks (-), Bilal El Khannouss (-)

GGFN Player of the Match: Badredine Bouanani (8)

The standout player in this match was Bouanani, who outperformed a talented attacking roster including Führich, Undav, and Tomas. Despite being seen as a missed transfer opportunity compared to fellow summer acquisition Bilal El Khannouss, Bouanani has shined in the Europa League with two goals this season, even if he’s yet to score in Bundesliga play.

With four shots on target during this match, he was quite unlucky not to extend his tally. Bouanani delivered five accurate crosses, a few of which could have easily led to assists, while his near-misses in the 16th, 46th, and 65th minutes demonstrated his attacking prowess. However, he faced tough luck, being denied by the Celtic goalkeeper on multiple occasions.