Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeneß was pleased with his side’s 4-1 win at Celtic Park, but he was quick to warn that the tie is far from finished. Stuttgart left Glasgow with a strong advantage after a clinical display, punishing Celtic’s mistakes and looking sharp on the break.
Despite their dominant performance, Hoeneß refused to speak as if the job was done, aware that European ties can be unpredictable. He knows that a fast start in the second leg can shift momentum quickly, and Martin O’Neill’s presence on the touchline is not lost on him.
Hoeneß made it clear he expects a response in Germany, saying: “It’s not over yet. I think the coach on the other side, he experienced a lot of things and they won’t give up. We should not expect this. That’s why we will prepare.”
He added: “We now have an important game in the league and then we will prepare for the next game. We want to go to the next round and there should be no doubts about it when we have the right mindset. That will be really important.”
From a Celtic point of view, the tie feels close to gone, with a three-goal gap away from home a big ask, especially after the way the first leg played out. However, there were spells where Celtic moved the ball well, mainly down the sides, and caused a few problems.
Stuttgart will feel confident heading back to Germany, with their press unsettling Celtic in Glasgow and their forwards finding space too easily when the game opened up. Hoeneß knows that European ties can change quickly, and he also knows O’Neill has been around long enough to believe in one last push.
For Celtic, there is little room for error now. They have to defend better and be ruthless if chances fall their way. The odds are stacked against them, but as the Stuttgart manager said, it is not over just yet.