Martin O'Neill reacts after Stuttgart defeat in his 1,000th game | OneFootball

Martin O'Neill conceded Celtic are in a difficult position after losing heavily to VfB Stuttgart at home in the first-leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff tie. The Bundesliga side produced an efficient performance by scoring four goals from five shots on target.

"We were in the game for a long time,” said the 73-year-old in his post-match interview. “We had our chances, but couldn't capitalize on them enough. The final score makes it difficult for us.

“Stuttgart is a team with a lot of quality. That was evident in many phases of the game. However, we always believe in our chances, even though the situation for the second leg is very, very difficult."

The Northern Ireland native would’ve liked a better performance from the hosts as he reached the momentous occasion of coaching 1,000 games. O'Neill initially returned to coaching for the first time since 2019 as an interim before taking over from Wilfried Nancy a month later.