El Khannouss stars as Stuttgart beat Feyenoord in Europa League
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VfB Stuttgart's Bilal El Khannouss was the difference in a 2-0 home win over Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Moroccan rose to head in off the bar six minutes from time and Deniz Undav added a late second to give the Germans six points from four games. The defeat leaves the Rotterdammers in the lower reaches of the table on three.
The Dutch league leaders dominated the first period, with Hadj Moussa having two early chances.
He also hit the wall with a free-kick on the stroke of half-time after Stuttgart's Maximiliam Mittelstädt avoided a red card for a potential professional foul.
Stuttgart, fourth in the Bundesliga and last season's German Cup winners, made an attacking substitution at the break as Jamie Leweling came on.
Playmaker El Khannouss had a fierce shot saved and Leweling headed wide as Stuttgart pushed, before the breakthrough finally came to send the home fans into raptures.
A game of contrasting halves was rounded off by Undav's tap-in after a counter-attack in injury time.
"It was a weird game," Undav told RTL. "We are in a decent position now with six points and anything is possible."
On November 27, Feyenoord host Celtic and Stuttgart face another Dutch side when they visit Go Ahead Eagles.
