Celtic bids farewell to the Europa League with a win in Stuttgart

The departure was with heads held high – Celtic Football Club missed out on the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League despite a 1–0 (1–0) win at VfB Stuttgart. The 1–4 deficit from the first leg was too much to overcome. However, superfan Sir Rod Stewart, who watched the game from faraway Florida, and all Hoops supporters were able to enjoy a strong performance from the Hoops, especially in defence. Finnish goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo and his teammates stood firm at the back and repelled the attacks of the home side, who dominated the game, with a lot of passion, fight and the necessary dose of luck.
Coach Martin O'Neill's Bhoys in Green held on to their narrow lead thanks to Luke McCowan's goal after 31 seconds, making history in the process. For Celtic, it was their first ever victory on German soil.
The coach was understandably delighted: ‘I'm thrilled with the team, absolutely thrilled with the team,’ said O'Neill after the final whistle. ‘The players showed great determination. At times, we also played some really beautiful football.’
The upturn in form has come at just the right time, with the always explosive city derby against Rangers at Ibrox Stadium coming up on Sunday. ‘This is an extremely important game for us,’ O'Neill emphasised. A win against their arch-rivals would see Celtic move up to second place in the Premiership table. Kick-off is at 1 p.m. (CET) on Sunday.