1. Home
  2. Leagues
  3. UEFA Europa League
  4. Stuttgart vs Celtic

Finished

Stuttgart

€341.40m

26 Feb12:45
0 : 1

Celtic

€143.00m

Preview

Stuttgart vs Celtic Prediction UEFA Europa League

Stuttgart vs Celtic prediction: goals, control, and a long night

The Stuttgart vs Celtic prediction for February 26, 2026 (17:45 GMT) starts with the obvious storyline: Stuttgart arrive at the MHPArena with a 4-1 first-leg lead from Celtic Park, and Celtic need the kind of miracle that usually gets saved for club anniversaries and late-night documentaries.

With Stuttgart sitting 4th in the Bundesliga and scoring freely in 2026 (26 goals in 11 matches), Sebastian Hoeneß has every reason to keep his side sharp. The message has been simple: don’t get romantic, get ruthless. Celtic, meanwhile, have to “go for it,” as Martin O’Neill put it after reaching his 1,000th match in management during the first leg. That’s a lot of games, and he’ll still tell you: you can’t chase a three-goal deficit by being polite.

How the second leg could be played

Expect a match with two different moods. Stuttgart can afford patience, while Celtic can’t. That usually creates space, and space is basically Stuttgart’s favorite food right now.

  • Stuttgart approach: proactive structure, quick transitions, and a willingness to let Celtic press before snapping forward. At home, they can keep the ball and still look dangerous when they go direct.
  • Celtic approach: a high-pressing 4-3-3 is likely, hunting an early goal to make the tie feel alive again. The risk is obvious: press too high, lose one duel, and Stuttgart are running at your back line.

Team news, key men, and the human side

Stuttgart’s big first-leg headline was Bilal El Khannouss, who hit two goals and looked like the game was moving in slow motion for him. Deniz Undav pulled strings with assists in Glasgow, and with Ermedin Demirović and Jamie Leweling also in form, Stuttgart have threats from multiple angles.

Hoeneß may be without Dan-Axel Zagadou and Lazar Jovanović, while Nikolas Nartey is close to returning. Jeremy Arévalo is ineligible due to squad list rules.

Celtic’s list is more painful. Arne Engels is out (thigh), and they’re also missing Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, and Alistair Johnston. Benjamin Nygren was the bright spot in the first leg with Celtic’s equalizer, and Callum McGregor remains the midfield heartbeat—he even had to defend Kasper Schmeichel publicly after a rough night and boos from his own fans. Add the recent fan protests (yes, the tennis balls) and the mood around the club has felt… complicated.

Head to head note worth remembering

This is Stuttgart’s first European knockout tie in 13 years, and Celtic fans will happily remind everyone that the last notable knockout meeting (2002/03 UEFA Cup) went Celtic’s way en route to Seville. History is nice, but the scoreboard is louder.

Stuttgart vs Celtic prediction: NerdyTips picks and betting odds

Now to the numbers that drive sports betting. The 1x2 betting odds are clear: Home win 1.36, Draw 5.9, Away win 8.5. With Stuttgart’s squad value at €341.360m versus Celtic’s €143.00m, the market expects control, quality, and depth to matter over 90 minutes.

  • Most likely 1x2 outcome: Home win (1) with confidence 8.2 and odds 1.36
  • Top value tip (NerdyTips AI): Over 2.5 goals, trust rating 10.0/10, odds 1.36
  • Correct score lean: 3:1
  • Half-time call: 1:0

The over 2.5 goals angle fits the game script. Celtic must chase, Stuttgart love transitions, and a second-leg tie with a big aggregate gap often turns into an open contest once the first goal lands. Our Stuttgart vs Celtic prediction also lines up with the projected match stats: 68% Stuttgart possession to 32% for Celtic, shots at 15.9, and shots on target at 5.9. Even corners (4-3) point to steady Stuttgart pressure rather than chaos-ball.

Discipline looks manageable (1 yellow for Stuttgart, 2 for Celtic), but if Celtic are still chasing in the final half-hour, tactical fouls tend to appear like clockwork.

Why the goals bet looks so clean

We’ve seen both teams punch above expectations away from home: Stuttgart’s 0-0 at Leverkusen in 2024 (as big underdogs) showed they can suffer smartly, and Celtic’s 2-2 at Bologna in January 2026 showed they can score even when the odds say “good luck.” Put that together with Celtic’s need to gamble and Stuttgart’s finishing form, and over 2.5 feels like the sensible bet in this round of sports betting.

Final thought for anyone checking betting odds: if Stuttgart score first, the tie might be settled—but the match could still stay fun, and that’s exactly why the goals market stands out.

Read More

AI Predictions
Powered by NerdyTips Logo

Best Tip

The best betting football prediction for Stuttgart vs Celtic

O2.5 -250

At least 3 goals will be scored in the match with odds of -250
10/10

1x2 Tip

1 -278

Stuttgart is expected to win with odds of -278
8/10

Total Goals

Over 2.5 -250

At least 3 goals will be scored in the match
10/10

Both Teams To Score

Yes -161

Both teams are expected to score
3/10

Bet Builder Tip

1X&O1.5 -500

Home win/draw and over 1.5 goals
10/10
Both Teams To Score

Correct Score

3:1

Stats Predictions

2.2
xG
1.12
68%
Ball Possession
32%
15
Total Shots
8
5
Shots on Goal
2
5
Shots Off Goal
2
4
Corners
3
1
Yellow Cards
2

Average / Match

2.09
Expected Goals
2.01
3.4
Total Goals
3.7
2.2
Goals Scored
2.1
1.2
Goals Against
1.6
59%
Possession
55%
15.5
Total Shots
15.7
5.9
Shots on Goal
5.9
5.7
Shots off Goal
5.3
9.4
Fouls
11.8
4.3
Corners
7.2
1.3
Offsides
1
1.7
Yellow Cards
2.56
537
Total Passes
488

Overview Last 10 Matches

6
Wins
6
9
Over 1.5 Goals
10
7
Over 2.5 Goals
8
4
Over 3.5 Goals
5
6
Both Teams Scored
8
0
Unexpected Wins
0
1
Unexpected Loses
1

Head to Head

Stuttgart
1 - 0 - 0
Celtic
Celtic Celtic 19-Feb-26
1:4
Stuttgart Stuttgart

Profile time Recent Matches of Stuttgart

12 AprW VfB S VfB S 4 Hamburger Hamburger 0
04 AprL VfB S VfB S 0 Borussia D Borussia D 2
22 MarW Augsburg Augsburg 2 Stuttgart Stuttgart 5
19 MarL FC Porto FC Porto 2 Stuttgart Stuttgart 0
15 MarW Stuttgart Stuttgart 1 RB Leipzig RB Leipzig 0
12 MarL Stuttgart Stuttgart 1 FC Porto FC Porto 2
07 MarD Mainz Mainz 2 Stuttgart Stuttgart 2
01 MarW Stuttgart Stuttgart 4 Wolfsburg Wolfsburg 0
26 FebL Stuttgart Stuttgart 0 Celtic Celtic 1
22 FebD Heidenheim Heidenheim 3 Stuttgart Stuttgart 3

Profile time Recent Matches of Celtic

11 AprWCeltic Celtic 1 ST Mirren ST Mirren 0
05 AprWDundee Dundee 1 Celtic Celtic 2
22 MarLDundee Utd Dundee Utd 2 Celtic Celtic 0
14 MarWCeltic Celtic 3 Motherwell Motherwell 1
08 MarDRangers Rangers 0 Celtic Celtic 0
04 MarWAberdeen Aberdeen 1 Celtic Celtic 2
01 MarDRangers Rangers 2 Celtic Celtic 2
26 FebWStuttgart Stuttgart 0 Celtic Celtic 1
22 FebLCeltic Celtic 1 Hibernian Hibernian 2
19 FebLCeltic Celtic 1 Stuttgart Stuttgart 4

World - UEFA Europa League World - UEFA Europa League

Team M G P
1 Lyon Lyon818-521
2 Aston Villa Aston Villa814-621
3 FC Midtjylland FC Midtjylland818-819
4 Real Betis Real Betis813-717
5 FC Porto FC Porto813-717
6 SC Braga SC Braga811-517
7 SC Freiburg SC Freiburg810-417
8 AS Roma AS Roma813-616
9 Genk Genk811-716
10 Bologna Bologna814-715
11 VfB Stuttgart VfB Stuttgart815-915
12 Ferencvarosi TC Ferencvarosi812-1115
13 Nottingham Forest Nottingham815-714
14 Plzen Plzen88-314
15 FK Crvena Zvezda FK Crvena87-614
16 Celta Vigo Celta Vigo815-1113
17 PAOK PAOK817-1412
18 Lille Lille812-912
19 Fenerbahçe Fenerbahçe810-712
20 Panathinaikos Panathinaikos811-912
21 Celtic Celtic813-1511
22 Ludogorets Ludogorets812-1510
23 Dinamo Zagreb Dinamo Zagreb812-1610
24 Brann Brann89-119
25 BSC Young Boys BSC Young Boys810-169
26 Sturm Graz Sturm Graz85-117
27 FCSB FCSB89-167
28 GO Ahead Eagles GO Ahead86-147
29 Feyenoord Feyenoord811-156
30 FC Basel 1893 FC Basel 189389-136
31 Red Bull Salzburg Red Bull810-156
32 Rangers Rangers85-144
33 Nice Nice87-153
34 Utrecht Utrecht85-151
35 Malmo FF Malmo FF84-151
36 Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel82-221
Video preview
You might also like:
Brentford vs Fulham Leeds vs Wolves Newcastle vs Bournemouth
Log In
Register
Bankers
All Matches