Celtic claimed a historic 1-0 victory over Stuttgart in the Europa League on Thursday, their first competitive win on German soil after 17 attempts. Luke McCowan's early goal, scored inside 30 seconds, proved decisive as the Scottish champions showed discipline and resilience against a dominant Stuttgart side.
Manager Martin O'Neill made eight changes from the weekend defeat to Hibernian, resting key players ahead of Sunday's Old Firm clash. The visitors defended stoutly, with goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo rarely tested despite Stuttgart having 24 attempts at goal. Sebastian Tounekti missed a late chance to double Celtic's lead.
McCowan's goal came from a swift counter-attack, finishing Junior Adamu's cross with his left foot past Alexander Nübel. Stuttgart improved after the break but were frustrated by offside calls and missed opportunities, including a disallowed goal for Deniz Undav after a controversial incident involving substitute Ermedin Demirovic.
The win was a morale boost for Celtic, though they were already eliminated from the tie after a 4-1 first-leg defeat. O'Neill described the victory as a fitting end to his European campaign, while fans celebrated a rare success abroad. The focus now shifts to the domestic run-in, starting with the trip to Ibrox.
