| Match Pictures | The Road To Seville | Matches: 2002 – 2003 |
Trivia
- UEFA Cup 2002-03; Fourth Round
- Aggregate Celtic 5-4 Suttgart
- Welsh star Bonnie Tyler entertained the fans by singing before the game.
Review
Two early goals seemed to kill off this tie and send the whole Celtic support into rapture. Stuttgart are no pushovers and yet we’d turned them over with little effort.
However, a late comeback with two late goals by the Germans led to a bit of a nervy end to the game, but the Germans still needed two goals to win on aggregate.
We survived and went through to the next round. Disappointing to lose a game we were comfortably in front but in the greater scheme of things it mattered little.
Teams
VfB Stuttgart:
Hildebrand, Hinkel, Wenzel, Gerber (Seitz 79), Hleb, Soldo, Balakov, Danglmayr (Ganea 46), Kuranyi, Amanatidis, Tiffert (Mutzel 64).
Subs Not Used: Ernst, Schneider, Luz, Rundeo.
Booked: Balakov, Mutzel.
Goals: Tiffert (38), Hleb (75) Mutzel (87)
Celtic:
Douglas, Laursen, Valgaeren, Balde, Agathe, Lambert (Maloney 81), Thompson, Lennon, Petrov, Sutton (McNamara 86), Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Sylla, Guppy, Mjallby, Crainey.
Goals: Thompson (12), Sutton (15)
Attendance: 50,348
Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland).
Pictures
Articles
Celtic kill off Stuttgart BBC
Stuttgart 3-2 Celtic (Aggregate: 4-5) Celtic reached the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup with an aggregate victory over Stuttgart that was comfortable until the dying moments in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium. The Scottish champions, who held a 3-1 lead after the first leg in Glasgow, scored twice in the early stages through Alan Thompson and Chris Sutton to virtually seal victory in a potentially hazardous tie. But Stuttgart fought back and goals from Christian Tiffert, Aliaksandr Hleb and Michael Mutzel eventually gave the home side a win on the night. Celtic had failed to record their first-ever victory in Germany but showed that they are as capable as any side left in the tournament of lifting the trophy on 28 May. Liverpool will be their next opponents after Gerard Houllier’s side completed a 3-0 aggregate victory over Auxerre. Stuttgart were weakened by the absence of Marcelo Bordon, Silvio Meissner and Fernando Meira but buoyed by the 4-0 weekend win over Borussia Moenchengladbach that kept Felix Magath’s side third in the Bundesliga. But they were soon on the ropes against a Celtic side virtually back to full strength. Didier Agathe delivered a high, dipping cross into the box that Hartson flicked on for Thompson to head into the far corner of the net. Agathe was the creator again for the second, speeding past Timo Wenzel before passing from the byline for Sutton to tap home. Stuttgart looked deflated but took advantage while Thompson was off the field receiving treatment for an injury after 37 minutes. Heiko Gerber’s cross found Tiffert diving in unmarked at the back post to give his side some hope. Stuttgart played much of the second period camped in Celtic’s half as Martin O’Neill’s side appeared content to defend their lead. But Hleb played a one-two on the edge of the Celtic box before driving the ball under Rab Douglas for the equaliser after 75 minutes. The striker sent another shot off the inside of the post and substitute Mutzel pounced on a Hleb through ball to drive past the Celtic goalkeeper and give Stuttgart a win on the night.
Stuttgart 3 – 2 Celtic, Celtic win 5-4 on aggregate
Dream start keeps Celtic on path to European glory
Graham Clark
The Guardian, Friday 28 February 2003 15.45 GMT
Article history
It has taken Celtic 23 years to remain in Europe beyond Christmas but the Scottish champions have clearly taken a liking to this hitherto unchartered territory.
Martin O’Neill’s team are now in the Uefa Cup quarter-finals, following a first-leg win in Glasgow, and a narrow Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium defeat against Stuttgart completed an impressive 5-4 aggregate victory.
In recent months Celtic have inflicted defeats on sides from Spain’s La Liga in the shape of Celta Vigo, Blackburn Rovers from the Premiership and now Stuttgart from the Bundesliga in Germany. Their European credentials can no longer be questioned. O’Neill declared as much when he said: “We’re through and that is what matters. We also deserve to be in the quarter-finals.
“This was another marvellous effort and although it became more nervous than necessary for us late on I felt we were in command by and large.
“The start was excellent and exactly what we wanted and from there we should probably have won the game. But Stuttgart are a quality team. They are third in the Bundesliga and showed why in the latter stages. We have achieved another excellent result.”
The start had gone far better than manager and players had dared hope as they weathered the home team’s early storm and then struck with deadly effect not just once, but twice in the opening quarter of an hour. Stuttgart were caught with sucker-punches that not just laid them low but ultimately proved to knock them out.
The Germans had started brightly enough. Andreas Hinkel went close and Steffen Dangelmayr, with a free header after seven minutes from a Krassimir Balakov corner, should certainly have done better than head wide as well.
Yet Celtic defended stoutly in that vital spell and having soaked up the Stuttgart pressure they grabbed the opening goal after just 12 minutes when a brilliant Didier Agathe run and cross, and a header on from John Hartson, allowed Alan Thompson in to nod past Hildebrand.
It was the ideal start for the Scots and it quickly became perfect when just three minutes later Celtic added a second through Chris Sutton after more excellent work from Agathe on the right. That was effectively that as Celtic held a 5-1 aggregate lead and Stuttgart, even if their pride dictated otherwise, knew so.
They struggled until it was too late to show any of the form that has taken them to third in the Bundesliga, although Hinkel might have had a penalty when he was tripped by Thompson after 31 minutes.
The Englishman was fortunate then but not so lucky seven minutes later when he was injured as the home side pulled a goal back. Heiko Gerber did well on the left and when he spotted Christian Tiffert in the area vacated by the absent Thompson he flighted the cross over and the youngster sent a simple header past Rab Douglas.
The remarkable first half rendered the second 45 minutes largely redundant although Stuttgart served notice of their intent when they re-started with striker Viorel Ganea in place of the central defender Dangelmayr, and while it was a gamble that never looked like paying the full dividend they gained some reward.
The Stuttgart manager Felix Magath tried another switch after 64 minutes when Michael Mutzel went on for Tiffert but the Germans were in disarray by then and Celtic’s huge travelling support weren’t slow to remind the locals of the fact.
Yet there was one last push to come from Stuttgart – desperate to avoid the humilia tion of a home defeat. Aliaksander Helb burst through after 75 minutes to equalise and while it was no cause for Scottish concern when the same player hit the post with a searing drive shortly after nerves began to jangle a little.
They were positively rattling, in fact, when after Shaun Maloney and Jackie McNamara replaced Lambert and Sutton substitute Mutzel gave his side the winning lead in the 87th minute.
Stuttgart (4-1-3-2): Hildebrand; Hinkel, Dangelmayr (Ganea, 46), Wenzel, Gerber (Seitz, 80); Soldo; Hleb, Balakov, Tiffert (Mutzel, 65); Kuranyi, Amanatidis.
Celtic (3-5-2): Douglas; Valgaeren, Balde, Laursen; Agathe, Lennon, Lambert (Maloney, 82), Petrov, Thompson; Hartson, Sutton (McNamara, 87).
Referee: J Wegereef (Holland).
