Ermedin Demirovic's Hat-Trick Leads VfB Stuttgart to Champions League Victory

Ermedin Demirovic chose quite a night to announce himself to Europe.

On the club’s 133rd anniversary, under the lights of the MHP Arena and with Champions League flags snapping in the breeze, the Bosnian forward produced a ruthless hat-trick to drag VfB Stuttgart past Viking FK 3-1 and into the league phase with authority.

A Nervy Start, A Relentless Response

For a quarter of an hour, Stuttgart looked like a team still adjusting to the stage. The passing was safe, the tempo cautious, the crowd waiting for a cue.

Demirovic supplied it.

On 20 minutes, he slipped into the pocket between Viking’s centre-backs, reading Angelo Stiller’s disguised pass before anyone else on the pitch. One touch to steady, one touch to poke home. Simple on the eye, anything but simple in execution. Stuttgart’s first real incision, and it cut Viking open.

The lead barely had time to settle.

Two minutes later, Zlatko Tripic punished a lapse at the other end, racing away on the counter and levelling the match. Stuttgart’s back line, stretched and square, were left chasing shadows as the Norwegian visitors reminded the Bundesliga side that European nights do not forgive hesitation.

The equaliser jolted Stuttgart. It also lit a fire under Demirovic.

Twelve Minutes of Brutality

What followed was a spell of centre-forward play that will live long in Stuttgart folklore.

First, he linked up with Deniz Undav, the pair suddenly operating on a different wavelength to everyone else. A sharp exchange, a burst into space, and Demirovic thrashed his second into the roof of the net. No doubt, no half-measures, just a finish that screamed confidence.

Viking wobbled. Stuttgart smelled blood.

Undav and Demirovic combined again as the half wore on, the Norwegian defence dragged into areas they wanted no part of. This time Demirovic showed a different side of his game: calm feet in a crowded penalty area, the ball seemingly glued to his boots as he created his own pocket of space before picking his moment and slotting in his third.

A 12-minute hat-trick, each goal a different chapter in the same story: movement, intelligence, and a cold edge in front of goal.

By the interval, the contest felt close to decided. The scoreline said 3-1, but it also said something else — Stuttgart had a striker in devastating form, and a partnership with Undav that already looks built for European nights.

Control, But Not Comfort

The second half brought a different kind of test.

With the cushion of a two-goal lead, Stuttgart eased into a more controlled rhythm, circulating the ball, drawing Viking into dead ends, managing the occasion. Yet the visitors refused to fade. Their threat on the counter never fully disappeared, and there were flickers of anxiety whenever Stuttgart lost the ball high up the pitch.

Demirovic saw it the same way. Even after delivering the kind of performance that headlines a Champions League matchday, he resisted any temptation to bask in it. He admitted Viking created “moments of concern,” especially when Stuttgart’s defensive transitions frayed under pressure.

Sebastian Hoeness had already struck that note of caution, and his striker echoed it: this was a job well done, not a finished product. The message was clear — three goals, three points, but still plenty to sharpen.

Missed Chances, Clear Message

Undav could have deepened the margin late on. Twice he found himself in promising positions, twice the final touch deserted him. On another night, Stuttgart might have turned this into a rout.

They did not need to. The closing stages belonged to game management: smart fouls, measured possession, and a refusal to let Viking back into the contest. Hoeness’ side closed the door and kept it shut.

Demirovic, though, had already done the heavy lifting. His hat-trick did more than settle an opening fixture. It sent a signal that Stuttgart, back on the European stage, carry a genuine cutting edge up front.

The win, as Demirovic put it, was “a nice way to kick off the Champions League campaign.” Understatement, perhaps, from a man who just carried his team through their first real examination of the season.

Now comes the real grind: a packed schedule, rising opponents, and a league phase that will only get more demanding. Stuttgart have plenty to polish, especially when opponents break at speed.

But they also have a striker in ruthless form, and on nights like this, that can tilt an entire European campaign.