Ermedin Demirovic Shines with Hat-Trick in Stuttgart's 133rd Anniversary

Ermedin Demirovic chose Stuttgart’s birthday party to deliver a statement.

On the club’s 133rd anniversary, under the lights at the MHP Arena and with the Champions League anthem still echoing in the stands, the Bosnian striker produced a ruthless hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Viking FK that felt like more than just a routine opening victory. It felt like a declaration of intent.

Slow start, ruthless response

Stuttgart did not begin like a side ready to sweep through Europe. They were cautious, almost jittery, as Viking settled quicker and hinted they might spoil the night. Passes went astray, the tempo sagged, and the Bundesliga side looked briefly unsure of themselves.

Then Demirovic arrived.

On 20 minutes, Angelo Stiller slipped a clever ball through a tight channel, threading it into the kind of space only a striker truly trusts. Demirovic read it instantly, darted across his marker and poked home. One touch, one finish, one deep breath from the home crowd.

The lead, though, barely had time to settle.

Just two minutes later, Zlatko Tripic punished Stuttgart on the break. Viking sprang forward with purpose, sliced through a stretched back line and Tripic’s equaliser silenced the celebrations almost as soon as they had begun. It was a sharp reminder: this Champions League league phase will not hand out easy nights.

A 12-minute masterclass

The shock of conceding jolted Stuttgart into life. The response was emphatic, and again it came from their No. 9.

Linking up with Deniz Undav, Demirovic began to dictate the entire contest. Their understanding up front suddenly tore Viking apart. One move, then another, each more incisive than the last.

His second goal underlined his confidence. Collecting the ball in space, he took aim and drove his finish high into the roof of the net, a strike that left the goalkeeper grasping at air. It was the kind of goal that lifts a stadium, the kind that tells a defence there is no margin for error.

He saved the most elegant moment for his third. Still within that devastating 12-minute spell, Demirovic again combined with Undav, this time showing velvet control inside a crowded penalty area. A deft touch, composure where others might have snatched at it, and then the calmest of finishes. Hat-trick complete before half-time, the game effectively killed.

Three chances. Three goals. Clinical doesn’t quite cover it.

“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.” It sounded understated, almost modest, in contrast to the brutality of his finishing.

Hoeness’ warning amid the celebrations

For all the attacking fireworks, Stuttgart did not have everything their own way. Viking refused to fold and, after the break, exposed flaws that Sebastian Hoeness and his staff will not ignore.

The Norwegian side repeatedly threatened on the counter, driving into the spaces Stuttgart left as they chased a fourth goal. Transitions became messy. Defensive structure loosened. The visitors carried enough menace to keep the home support restless.

Demirovic, even on a night when he could have basked in his own brilliance, pointed to those cracks.

“We also know that we can do better in one or two situations and need to tighten up in our defensive transitions,” he admitted. It echoed Hoeness’ own assessment: the performance brought three points and plenty of promise, but also a clear to-do list.

Missed chances, clear direction

Undav, so influential in the build-up to the hat-trick, might easily have added his name to the scoresheet. He passed up late opportunities to deepen the scoreline, chances that would have turned a controlled win into a statement rout.

Yet Stuttgart never truly lost their grip. They managed the final stages with maturity, pushed Viking away from dangerous areas and saw out the contest with the authority of a side beginning to believe they belong at this level.

By the final whistle, the storyline was simple: Demirovic’s treble, Stuttgart’s perfect start, and a European night that matched the club’s milestone occasion.

The opponents will grow stronger as the league phase unfolds. The tests will become more severe, the margins thinner. But with a striker in this kind of form and an attack that can rip games open in a matter of minutes, Stuttgart step into the next fixtures not just hopeful, but armed with a cutting edge that Europe will now be forced to respect.