Celtic claimed a 1–0 victory over VfB Stuttgart at the MHPArena in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off, but it was not enough to secure progression as they exited the competition 4–2 on aggregate.
Having suffered a heavy 4–1 defeat in the first leg, Celtic needed a remarkable turnaround in Germany.
Instead, they made a dream start but ultimately fell short of overturning the deficit.
The Scottish side stunned the home crowd inside the opening minute when Luke McCowan fired home a precise left-footed effort from the centre of the box after being set up by Junior Adamu.
The early goal reduced the aggregate deficit, but Celtic still had a mountain to climb.
Stuttgart responded with authority, dominating possession with 66 percent and registering 22 shots, eight of them on target.
Despite their control and attacking intent, the Bundesliga outfit were repeatedly denied by a resilient Celtic defence.
The hosts thought they had extended their aggregate lead in the 75th minute when Deniz Undav converted from close range, but the effort was ruled out, keeping the score at 1–0 on the night.
Although Stuttgart finished with a superior expected goals tally of 2.12 compared to Celtic’s 0.14, the visitors showed greater efficiency in front of goal in the second leg.
However, the damage had already been done in the first meeting, as Stuttgart comfortably advanced 4–2 on aggregate despite the narrow defeat on the night.
