Brighton’s Deniz Undav decision backfires after what he did vs Celtic
Deniz Undav was in sensational form for Stuttgart as they smashed Celtic in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs on Thursday.
The Bundesliga side rode out 4-1 winners on the night, and will take a three-goal advantage back to Germany for next week’s second leg.
Bilal El Khannouss, who left Leicester City in the summer, scored a brace to cancel out Benjamin Nygren’s goal, before Jamie Leweling and Tiago Tomas added to the lead.
Undav picked up two assists on the night and was a constant threat, with the German delivering yet another performance that may well leave Brighton fans wondering what if?
The striker completed a permanent move worth around £26million in 2024 after spending the previous season with Stuttgart on loan.
Brighton made a mistake with Deniz Undav
Brighton signed Undav from Union Saint-Gilloise in January 2022, with the player making his debut for the Seagulls at the start of the 2022-23 season.
The striker had floated around the lower tiers of Germany for years before he exploded in Belgium, scoring 25 goals in just 33 league games in the 2021-22 season.
But when he arrived at the American Express Stadium expecting Premier League football, he was met with a spot on the bench.
Undav played just 251 league minutes for Brighton until April, and once supplied with some trust, he scored five goals in nine games to end the season.
The damage had been done, however, and the striker was sent on loan to Stuttgart, where he enjoyed a staggering campaign, scoring 18 goals and providing nine assists.
Brighton attempted to bring him back, but the Germany international had already seen what life in England was like, and he eventually got his wish of a permanent move away.
This season, Undav has scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in just 30 games. While Brighton struggle to score goals in the Premier League, the 29-year-old continues to show them the mistake they made.
The stats behind Undav’s superb display vs Celtic
Interestingly, Undav was playing in a deeper role against Celtic on Thursday, with Ermedin Demirovic playing ahead of him.
But the 29-year-old was just as dangerous, providing assists for both El Khannouss and Leweling, and taking two shots himself.
| Deniz Undav | Vs Celtic |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 19/24 |
| Chances created | 4 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Duels won | 4/9 |
Undav also won a free kick and created two other chances for his teammates on what was a superb performance from the German.
Brighton did not completely lose out on the striker – they made a tidy profit – but the circumstances surrounding his exit will always sting.