Sebastian Hoeneß applauds Stuttgart’s efficiency

VfB Stuttgart narrowly missed out on an automatic qualification to the Round of 16 in the Europa League, but they’re now in a great position to do so after a 4-1 win against Celtic in Glasgow. Sebastian Hoeneß broke down how the game went in his post-match interview.

“Our players knew what was at stake today,” said Stuttgart’s head coach. “They delivered a very focused performance. We had phases where we were under pressure and had to defend as a team.

“We played with great control for long stretches. We showed efficiency. In the end, we scored a very important goal to make the result even more decisive. Now we want to seal the deal and advance to the next round. We won't make the mistake of thinking it's all over now. We have to be fully ready again in a week.”

Stuttgart will play against Bundesliga’s bottom-placed team Heidenheim before the home leg against Celtic next Thursday. If they complete the job as expected, they will face either Porto or Braga in the Round of 16. The draw will be made a day after the end of the playoff round.