SOCCER / UEFA CUP - VFB STUTTGART 3 - 2 CELTIC (Celtic win 5-4 on aggregate): 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."
Stuttgart were caught with early sucker-punches that not just laid them low, but ultimately proved to knock them out.
The Germans had started brightly. Andreas Hinkel went close and Steffen Dangelmayr, with a free header after seven minutes, 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.
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 humiliation 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: 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 37, 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 14.
Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland).
Guardian Service
