Demirovic's Hat-Trick Leads Stuttgart to Victory on Club Anniversary

Ermedin Demirovic chose Stuttgart’s 133rd birthday to deliver the kind of performance that lives in club folklore.

Under the lights at the MHP Arena, the Bosnian striker hit a ruthless hat-trick in just 12 first-half minutes, driving VfB Stuttgart to a 3-1 win over Viking FK and handing Sebastian Hoeness’ side a perfect launch to their Champions League league phase campaign.

A Nervous Start, Then a Ruthless Response

Stuttgart did not glide into this one. The opening spell felt edgy, almost jittery, as passes went astray and Viking sensed a chance to spoil the party. The Bundesliga side hesitated, the Norwegian visitors waited.

Then Demirovic snapped the game into focus.

On 20 minutes, he ghosted into space and reacted quickest to a clever threaded ball from Angelo Stiller, poking home from close range. It was a poacher’s finish, instinctive and sharp, and it should have settled Stuttgart.

Instead, the lead evaporated almost instantly.

Just two minutes later, Viking struck back on the counter. Zlatko Tripic finished off a swift break, punishing Stuttgart’s loose defensive shape and silencing the celebrations almost as soon as they had begun. The equaliser exposed exactly the kind of vulnerability Hoeness has warned about in transition.

The response was emphatic.

Demirovic Takes Over

Far from rattled, Demirovic simply raised the tempo of his own game. With Deniz Undav increasingly influential alongside him, Stuttgart’s front line began to overwhelm Viking’s back four.

Their combination play carved open the visitors twice before the interval.

For his second, Demirovic met another incisive move with a thumping finish, driving the ball into the roof of the net. No half-chance, no hesitation. One touch to set, one to lash it high beyond the goalkeeper. The MHP Arena roared; the tension of the opening minutes felt a long way away.

His third showed a different side of his craft. Again linking with Undav, Demirovic collected the ball inside the box, killed it with a velvet first touch, then used his body and close control to buy just enough time. The composure was absolute. The finish, calm and clinical.

In 12 minutes, he had his hat-trick. Stuttgart had their 3-1 lead. Viking looked stunned.

“The win is a nice way to kick off the Champions League campaign,” Demirovic said afterwards. “We’ve picked up three points and I’m pleased about my three goals.”

Hoeness’ Warning Note

The scoreline, and the manner of Demirovic’s treble, could easily have allowed Stuttgart to drift into self-congratulation. Demirovic refused to go there.

He acknowledged that Viking continued to threaten on the break, especially after the interval, when the game’s rhythm shifted and Stuttgart’s control wavered at times. The visitors found pockets of space in transition, and there were moments when a second Viking goal felt uncomfortably possible.

“We also know that we can do better in one or two situations and need to tighten up in our defensive transitions,” Demirovic admitted, echoing Sebastian Hoeness’ assessment. The message was clear: three points banked, but standards not yet met.

That honesty matters for a team stepping into a demanding league phase. The attacking fluency is there. The defensive discipline still needs sharpening.

Game Management and Missed Chances

As the second half wore on, Stuttgart shifted into a more controlled mode. The urgency of the first period gave way to game management. Hoeness’ side slowed the tempo, kept the ball, and squeezed the space Viking had enjoyed earlier on the break.

Undav, lively throughout, had chances to put the result beyond any doubt. He drifted into promising positions and found himself on the end of moves that deserved a better finish, but the final touch deserted him late on. Those missed opportunities kept the margin at 3-1, yet they did little to alter the pattern of the closing stages.

Stuttgart stayed organised, handled Viking’s late forays with maturity, and saw the game out with a minimum of drama. No frantic defending, no desperate clearances. Just steady, professional control.

A Statement Start

For Stuttgart, this night was about more than an anniversary and a scoreline. It was a test of whether last season’s resurgence could translate onto a European stage that demands consistency and conviction.

Demirovic’s hat-trick answered part of that question. His movement, finishing, and understanding with Undav offered a glimpse of an attacking partnership that could trouble far stronger opponents than Viking. His clinical edge is a significant asset as the fixtures tighten and the stakes rise.

At the same time, the warning signs on the counter are impossible to ignore. Hoeness knows that future opponents will be more ruthless if given the same space and time in transition.

For now, though, Stuttgart have exactly what they needed: three points, a statement performance from their leading striker, and a reminder that this team can hurt you quickly if you let them play.

The celebrations for 133 years of VfB Stuttgart ended with a simple, resonant truth: if Demirovic keeps this form, how far can this team really go in Europe?