Europa League Performance Insights: How Stuttgart overloaded Celtic's back line to take control in clinical first leg
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UEFA's game insights unit and Technical Observer David James analyse how overloads on the front line and swift transitions formed a vital part of the Stuttgart's UEFA Europa League bold and attacking game management against Celtic.
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"Stuttgart arrived with a clear plan to get as many goals as they could right up to the final whistle," said UEFA Technical Observer David James after Stuttgart took a 4-1 UEFA Europa League knockout phase play-off lead against Celtic.
Sebastian Hoeness' side departed Celtic Park with a three-goal advantage as a reward for this bold strategy to seize control in a first-leg match that involved regular bouts of clinical attacking intensity.
This analysis casts a spotlight on the effectiveness of the away side's approach and the tactical response from Celtic, who were led by Martin O'Neill for his milestone 1,000th senior game as a manager.
Stuttgart's set-up to overload Celtic’s back line
Starting with Stuttgart's early intent, James noted the advantage created by the German side deploying a 3-2-2-3 system in possession against Celtic's 4-4-2. "This was not so much about positions, it was more about function," explained James. "The four players in the 'box' midfield for Stuttgart gave them an extra man there at times, creating little pockets of possession to allow a free man to get the ball."
Video one illustrates the impact of this structure in possession. The first two clips show how the extra man in midfield allows Stuttgart to create 5v4 overloads on the Celtic back line that lead to crossing opportunities. In clip three, we see cleverly-timed movement by the right wing-back to attract pressure deeper and create a 4v3 situation higher up the pitch. A long ball from the goalkeeper becomes a threatening attack.
The final clip offers a showcase of three clear attributes displayed by Stuttgart's players, according to James: collective counter-pressure, movement to create space for crosses, and defensive balance to maintain the attacks. The move came after Celtic's Benjamin Nygren had cancelled out Bilal El Khannouss' opener – and exemplified what James called "Stuttgart's ability to seek out the space and opportunities to create and exploit rare moments of imbalance with wonderful finishes".
The former England and Liverpool goalkeeper said: "Stuttgart's second goal is the best example of where they were clearly trying to create these crossing situations. The 3v3 interplay on the right creates space for the lay-off for the cross. This comes after keeping the attack alive following a deep cross too. When creating these 1v1 situations out wide, it wasn't about the player having to beat the defender. It was about creating space to get the crosses in. Crossing has been a big part of Stuttgart's game all season. It's an amazing finish by El Khannouss, given the cross takes a deflection and he has to adjust to finish."
Celtic's push to get back in the game
"Celtic started the second half much better," said James. "They showed a greater desire to press higher, whereas in the first half they often went with a mid-block. Left-back Kieran Tierney pushed up more, in particular. They achieved much better ball control in midfield and got in behind the Stuttgart back line more."
In the second video, we see the right-back Julián Araujo drive forward from his own half to penetrate the box as Celtic push for an equaliser. Clips two and three show the added urgency after making substitutions in response to going 3-1 down.
"The subs enhanced the approach from Celtic," said James. "In the first half, the build-up involved multiple passes around the back, leading to balls in the midfield, quite often bounced back and ending with a long ball that was lost. When the subs came on, they were more direct and individualistic going towards goal."
Clip three shows Hyunjun Yang dribbling into the heart of the penalty area in the 68th minute.
Stuttgart's desire to maximise their advantage
Celtic's extra urgency after the break changed the possession picture. While Stuttgart enjoyed 54% of the ball in the first half, it was Celtic who dominated with 60% after the break. Stuttgart's "desire to score" never wavered throughout though, said James. They simply picked their moments to attack a clinical conviction that yielded four goals from just five shots on target – and with an xG of 1.88.
The final video offers a showcase of Stuttgart's purpose, particularly in transitional moments, working the ball away from pressure and continuing to attack the box in numbers. Clip one shows the crucial third goal by Jamie Leweling after a turnover from a Celtic throw-in. "These moments seemed rehearsed," explained James in the tactical analysis of Thursday's match. "The 2v2 situation didn't happen by chance. Then it's all about the beauty of the finish. It's a very deliberate shot through the defender's legs, just like the first goal on the night. This gives Kasper Schmeichel very little time to react." Clip two shows another example of a turnover from a Celtic throw-in.
Finally, clip three shows Stuttgart's fourth goal – a fast and incisive link-up between two substitutes, Nikolas Nartey and Tiago Tomás. James hailed the impact of Hoeness' decisions. "The manager would have known why he was putting these players on," said James.
"You've got one hungry player, Nikolas Nartey, who wants to do a turn rather than laying out wide. He spins 180 degrees with the ball to face forward. Then a second hungry player, Tiago Tomás, who was always looking to get in behind from the moment he came on. For this goal, Tomás did brilliantly. He won the initial header, saw the move develop, spotted the space and raced in between full-back and centre-back. It's a wonderful touch and excellent finish under pressure."
Coaching focus
As UEFA’s Head of Coach Development Kris Van Der Haegen has noted, "every coach wants their team to play their own particular style of football", but success requires preparing players for "game-realistic scenarios to effectively navigate both structured and unstructured moments".
Structure vs chaos
For Van Der Haegen, "adopting structured practice involving patterns of play helps coaches build a game model ... This helps provide more control to create the pictures they want to see."
Stuttgart managed this in the first half at Celtic Park, an achievement acknowledged by Sebastian Hoeness afterwards. "We played very controlled for long stretches," he said. "We continued to play forward and maintain necessary control over the game.” However, the "unstructured" moments are where games are truly won, as Van Der Haegen has emphasised, saying: "Unstructured moments such as transition are harder to prepare for and coaches should create environments where players identify problems and find solutions."
Game management in context
James highlighted Hoeness' "masterclass of superb game management", praising the planning for the context of a big game. "It's a first leg, away at Celtic Park, which could have been hostile," James explained. "But they succeeded in keeping the game as quiet as possible for the opening 15-20 minutes and got the goal to put pressure on Celtic."
By "regularly exposing players to realistic scenarios", as Van Der Haegen advocates, "players can respond effectively to the challenges they face”. The result was the clinical edge Hoeness described after the final whistle: "We showed efficiency," he said. "We made the most of the chances.”
David James is a former England international goalkeeper, whose club career included spells at Liverpool, Portsmouth, Manchester City and West Ham United. He represented Liverpool and Portsmouth in this competition.
