Stuttgart 3 Celtic 2
(Agg: 4-5)
Celtic set up a potential 'Battle of Britain' showdown with Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup despite defeat in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium tonight.
Having given themselves a cushion with a 3-1 victory at Parkhead last week, they avoided a similar disaster to what happened in Basle at the beginning of the season by completing the job with two first-half goals from Alan Thompson and Chris Sutton.
Although the Germans hit back to claim victory on the night, Celtic were left smiling by an aggregate win over the Bundesliga's third-placed team - and with hot-shot Henrik Larsson still injured.
Martin O'Neill's decision to pair Sutton and John Hartson in attack with Shaun Maloney staying on the bench worked to perfection.
The Glasgow giants, who still harbour ambitions to win four pieces of silverware this season, will now be taken seriously in the tournament and have real desires to win the trophy after reaching the last eight of a European competition for the first time since 1981.
Their hope is not based solely on their frontmen or the imminent return of Larsson for the quarter-final, but also their resolve at the back.
The home side gave Celtic an early sign of what was in store when Zvonimir Soldo fired over from a tight angle after just 20 seconds.
Celtic were penned in and needed Joos Valgaeren to save them after four minutes when Alexander Hleb picked out Heiko Gerber and he tried to find Ionnis Amanatidis at the far post, but the Belgian international got ahead of him to head clear.
Moments later Robert Douglas was relieved to see Andreas Hinkel's right-foot shot whistle just past the post.
The German side again went close in the seventh minute when Krassimir Balakov picked out Steffen Dangelmayr alone in the box - but he headed wide from 10 yards.
But the best way to stop the pressure is to score and Celtic stunned the home side by grabbing an all important away goal in the 12th minute.
Hartson flicked on Didier Agathe's cross and Thompson came in at the back post to head past Timo Hildebrand from six yards out.
Three minutes later the travelling Hoops fans were in dreamland after Agathe outpaced Timo Wenzel and squared for Sutton to fire into an empty net from close range.
But the home side did give themselves a very slight glimmer of hope when they pulled a goal back in the 38th minute through Christian Tiffert's header.
Stuttgart coach Felix Magath made a change at the break with Ioan Viorel Ganea coming on for Dangelmayr, who made a costly error at Parkhead last week.
Magath then introduced Michael Mutzel for goalscorer Tiffert, before Hleb squared the scores on the night with 15 minutes remaining after Ganea had headed Kuranyi's cross wide from six yards.
Amanatidis' deflected shot flew inches past the upright before Hleb hit the post from eight yards with five minutes remaining.
With three minutes remaining Mutzel gave Stuttgart the lead on the night - but at the end it was O'Neill, his players and the Celtic supporters who were left toasting a first ever appearance in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.