Ermedin Demirovic's Hat-Trick Powers Stuttgart in Champions League Opener
Ermedin Demirovic marked VfB Stuttgart’s 133rd birthday with a performance the club will talk about for years.
On a European night that crackled from the first whistle, the Bosnian striker hit a ruthless hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Viking FK at the MHP Arena, launching Sebastian Hoeness’ side into the Champions League league phase with authority and edge.
Hat-trick hero silences early nerves
Stuttgart did not start like a side in party mood. They looked cautious, even jittery, as Viking snapped into counters and tested their nerve on the break. The crowd waited. So did Demirovic.
On 20 minutes, he snapped the game into life.
Angelo Stiller slipped a clever pass into the box, and Demirovic reacted first, darting across his marker and poking the ball home from close range. One touch, one finish. Stuttgart’s European campaign had its opening note.
The lead barely had time to settle.
Just two minutes later, Zlatko Tripic punished Stuttgart’s looseness in transition, racing away on the counter to level for the Norwegian visitors. The MHP Arena fell briefly flat. Viking had their away goal, and Stuttgart had a warning.
That warning stung. And it woke up the hosts.
Twelve minutes of demolition
The response came with force. Stuttgart pushed higher, moved the ball quicker, and suddenly Viking were the ones scrambling.
Demirovic and Deniz Undav began to connect, their partnership clicking into a sharper rhythm. The pressure built, and Viking’s back line started to creak.
Demirovic’s second goal was all power and conviction. Teed up by Undav, he met the chance with a thumping finish that flew into the roof of the net, restoring Stuttgart’s lead and swinging the momentum decisively their way.
He wasn’t finished.
Within that same relentless 12-minute spell, Demirovic completed his treble. Again combining with Undav, he collected the ball inside the area, killed it with a velvet first touch and, under pressure, showed ice-cold composure to pick his spot and slide in his third. Technique, calm, control – all in one move.
Three goals. One man. A European tie effectively decided before half-time.
Afterwards, Demirovic spoke with the calm of someone who knows this level and expects to deliver at it. He made it clear he was happy to justify Stuttgart’s billing as favourites and even happier that his goals translated into points, not just headlines.
“The win is a nice way to kick off the Champions League campaign,” he said. “We’ve picked up three points and I’m pleased about my three goals.”
Hoeness and Demirovic demand more
For all the attacking fireworks, neither Demirovic nor his head coach pretended this was flawless.
Viking refused to disappear after the break. They carried a threat on the counter, especially as Stuttgart lost some of their first-half sharpness in defensive transitions. There were moments – half-chances, breaks into space – that will irritate Hoeness when he rewatches the tape.
Demirovic didn’t shy away from that reality. He echoed his coach’s call for more control without the ball, underlining that this level will punish even brief lapses as the league phase tightens.
“We also know that we can do better in one or two situations and need to tighten up in our defensive transitions,” he admitted. “But on the whole, we achieved our objective for this evening.”
Objective achieved, yes. But the message was clear: this is a starting point, not a ceiling.
Statement made, tests to come
As the game drifted into its final stages, Stuttgart managed it with maturity. They slowed the tempo, shut down space, and refused to give Viking a route back into the contest.
Undav could have added extra gloss to the scoreline, passing up late chances to stretch the margin, but by then the outcome felt secure. The home crowd stayed relaxed; the three points were already mentally banked.
What will linger from this night, though, is Demirovic’s clinical edge. A 12-minute hat-trick, every finish different, each one delivered with the certainty of a forward in form and in command of his craft.
For Stuttgart, juggling domestic ambitions with the demands of Europe, that kind of ruthlessness up front changes everything. The league phase will only grow more demanding from here, the opponents sharper, the margins thinner.
If Demirovic keeps striking like this, how far can this team really go?
