Stuttgart opened their UEFA Europa League (UEL) campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo, securing only their third win in 16 European matches against Spanish opposition. The German side, playing in their second consecutive UEFA tournament for the first time since the 2010/11 season, showed confidence and resilience to claim all three points.
The hosts started brightly, creating an early opportunity when a brilliant cross from Lorenz Assignon found Chema Andrés, whose shot was saved before Jamie Leweling sent the follow-up over the bar. Despite an early injury to Finn Jeltsch, Stuttgart maintained control of the game.
Celta Vigo, in their first UEL appearance in nine years, struggled to find their rhythm and offered little threat in the first half. Their only notable chance came from Ferran Jutglà, who fired wide after a superb through ball from Ilaix Moriba. Stuttgart finished the half on the front foot, with Assignon forcing a fine save from Celta’s goalkeeper, Ionuț Radu.
The deadlock was broken six minutes into the second half with a classic long-ball goal. A long pass from goalkeeper Alexander Nübel found Badredine Bouanani, who took a brilliant first touch and expertly lobbed Radu for his first goal for the club.
Stuttgart quickly doubled their lead through Bilal El Khannouss. The Leicester loanee caught the Celta defense off guard from a short corner and struck a clinical shot past Radu, scoring his first-ever European goal.
Celta Vigo, who had struggled to register a shot on target, finally made things interesting in the closing stages. Ilaix Moriba outmuscled Atakan Karazor and fed Borja Iglesias, who provided a tidy finish to halve the deficit.
Ultimately, the Bundesliga side held on to secure a narrow win, extending their winning streak at home to three consecutive games across all competitions. For Celta, the defeat means they are still searching for their first win of the new campaign.
