Hinkel believes Stuttgart may have "a small advantage over the two legs because the second one is at home". If Celtic are looking for an added source of optimism it could perhaps come from Stuttgart's away record in this season's competition. They have lost three of their four away games - at Basel, Fenerbahce and Roma. "The first leg at Celtic Park is important because away over the years Stuttgart had some results in the Champions League or the Europa League where they lost quite heavily," said Hinkel. "Stuttgart is a very good side, they are fighting for the Champions League places in Germany but since Martin O'Neill took over again, Celtic get the results.

Source: BBC February 19, 2026 09:44 UTC