VfB’s 4-1 first-leg win away to Celtic FC in their UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off has left them with one foot in the last 16 – but there is no room for complacency as they bid to seal the deal in the return fixture at the MHP Arena on Thursday (at 18:45 CET).
Bilal El Khannouss and Deniz Undav on fire
“We want to approach the match in the best possible way and win – that’s the clear and safest path to reaching the next round,” said Sebastian Hoeneß at his pre-match press conference. “We need to be fully committed and play with conviction in our stadium from the very first minute.”
While the whole team has impressed on the continental stage this season, two players in particular have stood out. Bilal El Khannouss is the first Stuttgart player to score five goals in a European competition in a single season since Mario Gomez struck six times in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup. Currently only two players have found the net more often than El Khannouss in the Europa League this term: Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest) and Petar Stanic (Ludogorets), who both have seven.
Deniz Undav, meanwhile, has provided more assists in the competition than anyone else in 2025/26 with six.
Personnel: Chabot suspended, Stiller available
Jeff Chabot’s booking in the first leg was his fifth yellow card of the season, meaning he is suspended for this game. Angelo Stiller was able to complete the team’s final training session though, so he is an option to play.
Dan-Axel Zagadou and Justin Diehl have likewise returned to full training, but VfB will be without Lazar Jovanovic, who continues to work his way back from injury.
