Ermedin Demirović hat-trick fires VfB Stuttgart to UEFA Champions League win over Viking
VfB Stuttgart beat Norwegian outfit Viking 3-1 in their first UEFA Champions League fixture of the season, with Ermedin Demirović scoring a first-half hat-trick to fire his side to a comfortable win.
VfB Stuttgart 3–1 Viking
Goals: 1-0 Demirović 20‘ (assist: Stiller), 1-1 Tripić 22‘ (assist: Bjørdal), 2-1 Demirović 26‘ (assist: Undav), 3-1 Demirović 32‘ (assist: Undav)
Stuttgart began the league phase of the Champions League with a home fixture against tournament debutants Viking. Sebastian Hoeneß made two changes to the side that had beaten Cologne, bringing in Jamie Leweling and Ermedin Demirović for Josha Vagnoman and Dženan Pejčinović.
Viking, coached jointly by Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, also made two alterations, with Kristoffer Haugen and Henrik Bjørdal starting in place of Vetle Auklend and Simen Kvia-Egeskog.
Demirović treble puts VfB in control
After a quiet start, Viking created the first real opening when Henrik Bjørdal headed just over from a right-wing cross in the 11th minute, and Kristoffer Askildsen forced a save from Fabian Bredlow soon after.
Stuttgart then took the lead in the 20th minute when Jeff Chabot's move down the left ended with Chris Führich feeding Angelo Stiller, who squared for Demirović to finish from close range. Viking hit back almost immediately as Zlatko Tripić beat Finn Jeltsch in a one-on-one and slotted home to level at 1-1 in the 22nd minute.
Demirović restored Stuttgart's lead in the 26th minute, finishing from a Deniz Undav pass, and completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute with another goal set up by Undav, sending Stuttgart into the break with a 3-1 lead.
Second-half stalemate
Viking started the second half brightly, with Bjørdal seeing an early volley deflected over after Stuttgart failed to clear inside their own box. Führich then curled a direct free-kick over the bar for Stuttgart.
Demirović was withdrawn for Pejčinović in the 62nd minute, alongside a raft of substitutions on both sides. Undav struck the crossbar with a stoppage-time effort as Stuttgart pushed for a fourth without adding to their tally, and the match finished 3-1.
Stuttgart return to Champions League action on 14 October with a trip to Slovan Bratislava.
