Celtic Vs Vfb Stuttgart: El Khannouss Double Sparks Rout That Leaves Celtic Facing Europa Exit
The shock of the night at Parkhead was captured plainly in one line: Celtic Vs Vfb Stuttgart saw Bilal El Khannouss score twice as the visitors ran out comfortable winners, leaving Celtic staring at a possible Europa League exit after a chastening first leg on February 19, 2026. The result compounded a fractious atmosphere around the club, with fans protesting early and jeering the goalkeeper later on.
Celtic Vs Vfb Stuttgart — key moments that decided the tie
The game turned quickly and emphatically in Stuttgart’s favour. El Khannouss opened the scoring after a clever flick from Deniz Undav and then added a second with a headed finish from Angelo Stiller’s cross, a double that helped spark a rout. Celtic briefly drew level when Benjamin Nygren profited from a defensive mix-up between the visiting goalkeeper and Atakan Karazor, rounding the goalkeeper before slotting home, but that was as close as the home side would get.
Defensive lapses and goalkeeping errors repeatedly undermined Celtic. Kasper Schmeichel was culpable for the opening goal after a poor distribution handed Stuttgart the initiative, and fans expressed their frustration by booing his subsequent touches. The match ended with an added gloss for the visitors when Tiago Tomás converted in stoppage time, deepening Celtic’s task ahead of the second leg.
Chaos off the ball and fallout for the manager
The night was marred before the first meaningful chance: supporters threw tennis balls onto the pitch seconds after kick-off as a tactic to voice displeasure with the board, causing a three-minute delay in play. The protest, while short-lived, underscored the wider tensions at the club and set a bitter tone that never abated.
Martin O’Neill did not shy from the scale of the challenge, calling the Stuttgart tie the toughest of the season and conceding it would be "very, very difficult" for his side to turn the tie around. He noted the disappointment of the evening and maintained that the team had to deal with the situation collectively. The manager also voiced frustration at the tactics deployed by some supporters during the protest, saying it helped no one.
What this means going into the second leg
With Stuttgart having scored freely and shown themselves capable of exploiting Celtic’s frailties, the second leg looks daunting. Stuttgart arrived on impressive recent form and finished well ahead in the Europa League table, and their efficiency at Parkhead leaves the Scottish side with a steep hill to climb. The visitors’ attacking threat—highlighted by Undav’s involvement and El Khannouss’ finishing—will be a focal point for any Celtic reset.
For Celtic, the match is symptomatic of a season described as messy and turbulent; Uefa will likely take a dim view of the early disruption, and the home fans’ treatment of Schmeichel reflected deeper anxieties about personnel decisions and performances. O’Neill now faces selection and morale dilemmas ahead of a crucial domestic fixture days after the return leg, and the task of rallying the squad while repairing relations with parts of the support remains urgent.
Kick-off for the first leg was scheduled for 8: 00 PM ET on February 19, 2026 at Parkhead, Glasgow. The second leg will be approached as a must-win night for the hosts if Celtic are to keep hopes of a European campaign alive.
