The opening half was a tale of Stuttgart dominance, but a lack of clinical finishing kept the score locked at 0-0. The home side nearly paid the price early on when a misplaced pass from goalkeeper Alexander Nübel gifted Celta legend Iago Aspas a sight at an open goal, only for the striker to volley over the bar. Despite controlling possession and creating chances, Stuttgart entered the break frustrated.
The breakthrough finally came six minutes into the second half in stunning fashion. A long clearance from goalkeeper Alexander Nübel sailed over the Celta defence, finding forward Badredine Bouanani who expertly chipped the ball over the advancing keeper for his first goal in Stuttgart colours (51’).
Midway through the half, the hosts doubled their advantage. Following a short corner routine, Angelo Stiller found Bilal El Khannouss on the edge of the box, and the young midfielder cut in before curling a precise right-footed shot inside the far post (68’) to make it 2-0.
A dramatic conclusion was guaranteed in the 86th minute when Stuttgart midfielder Atakan Karazor was dispossessed, allowing Ilaix Moriba to set up substitute Borja Iglesias, who converted to halve the deficit. The late consolation goal sparked a flurry of attacks from the Spanish side, but Sebastian Hoeneß’s men held firm through four nervous minutes of injury time to secure the 2-1 triumph and a winning start to their European journey.
