The Daily Star Ireland
Stuttgart, fresh from last season’s Champions League campaign, find themselves competing in the Europa League this term. While the drop is significant, their form in the Bundesliga suggests the secondary competition may be the more realistic stage for them to make an impact.
After three early league fixtures, VfB had suffered two away defeats—first against Union Berlin (2-1) and later at Freiburg after the international break (3-1). Their only victory came at home against Borussia Mönchengladbach in a narrow 1-0 result, which raised as many concerns as it did optimism. Last weekend’s meeting with St. Pauli offered another test for a squad still searching for consistency.
Stuttgart: Injuries and Key Men to Watch
Manager Sebastian Hoeneß has been forced to navigate several absences. Defensive reinforcements Ameen Al Dakhil and Luca Jaquez are sidelined, as are backup goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow, youngster Justin Diehl, and loanee Silas from Red Star Belgrade. Important names like Stergiou and German international Undav are also unavailable through injury, stretching the squad’s depth.
Despite these challenges, Stuttgart still have firepower. Bosnian striker Ermedin Demirović, who scored 15 Bundesliga goals last season, remains their focal point in attack. Midfielder Angelo Stiller, now on Real Madrid’s radar, will also feature prominently. Their ability to combine Stiller’s control with Demirović’s finishing could be decisive in European competition.
Celta Vigo: Struggling to Find Their Feet
Celta Vigo secured Europa League football after finishing seventh in La Liga last season, but their start to the new campaign has been underwhelming. In their first five league outings, they failed to secure a single victory, recording four consecutive 1-1 draws—against Mallorca, Real Betis, Villarreal, and Girona—alongside an opening-day defeat to Getafe (2-0). The Galicians traveled to Rayo Vallecano last weekend still hunting for their first win.
In terms of personnel, Joseph Aidoo and Franco Cervi will miss out, weakening both defensive cover and creativity. However, Carl Starfelt’s return bolsters the backline. Going forward, Vigo possess dangerous options. Summer signing Ferran Jutglà from Club Brugge has added energy, while Borja Iglesias remains a proven scorer, having netted 11 goals in their qualification push and already opening his league account with two strikes this season. Veteran captain Iago Aspas continues to lead by example, and Bayern Munich loanee Bryan Zaragoza offers a lively presence on the left wing.
Prediction
Stuttgart’s home form gives them a major edge. The German side are unbeaten in several matches at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, winning six in a row, which boosts confidence heading into this fixture. Celta Vigo, in contrast, have been poor on the road in European competition, failing to win in 11 consecutive away games at this level and losing nine of them.
The Bundesliga side should have enough attacking quality to secure the points, especially against a Celta team still struggling to turn draws into victories.
Prediction: Stuttgart 3 – 1 Celta Vigo
