VfB Stuttgart vs Celtic prediction 26.02.2026 | Europa League

Stuttgart return to Europa League action on Thursday following a dramatic 3:3 draw at Heidenheim last weekend. Deniz Undav struck his 17th goal of the season with a late equaliser in the 88th minute, rescuing a point for Sebastian Hoeneß’s side.

Hoeneß's men have enjoyed a strong start to 2026, recording eight wins and just two defeats from 12 matches across all competitions. Die Roten currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga and remain firmly in the race for Champions League qualification.

However, defensive solidity remains an issue. Stuttgart have conceded in nine of their last 12 matches, including last week's 4:1 win in Glasgow. 

Head coach Hoeneß will be without several first-team players this week, as Angelo Stiller, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Lazar Jovanovic and Justin Diehl are all sidelined through injury, while Jeff Chabot serves a suspension.

Celtic travel to Germany with their Europa League hopes hanging by a thread after last week’s heavy 4:1 defeat at Parkhead. Despite posting a higher xG (2.09 to 1.88), defensive lapses proved costly against the clinical Bundesliga side.

The Bhoys were unable to respond in the fight for the Scottish Premiership title, slipping to a 2:1 home defeat against Hibernian on Saturday. That result leaves them six points behind leaders Hearts in the Premiership, although they do have a game in hand.

Goals have been a consistent feature of Celtic’s matches in 2026. An average of 3.45 goals per game has been recorded across their 13 fixtures since January. BTTS & over 2.5 goals also landed in eight of their last nine matches

Interim boss O’Neill is expected to rotate his side on Thursday, with Daizen Maeda and Marcello Saracchi among those pushing for recalls to the selection. Arne Engels, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota remain sidelined and are unavailable for the visitors.