Demirovic scores twelve-minute hat-trick as Stuttgart beat Viking Stavanger 3-1
Ermedin Demirovic scored three first-half goals in twelve minutes as VfB Stuttgart defeated Viking Stavanger 3-1 on the club's 133rd anniversary.
Demirovic scores three in twelve minutes
VfB Stuttgart opened their Champions League league phase campaign with a 3-1 home win against Norwegian champions Viking Stavanger on the club's 133rd anniversary. Forward Ermedin Demirovic decided the encounter before half-time with three goals in twelve minutes, striking in the 20th, 26th, and 32nd minutes. The opening goal followed a combination through Chris Führich and Angelo Stiller, with Demirovic finishing off the underside of the crossbar. Team captain Deniz Undav provided the assists for the subsequent two goals, sending a through pass for the second strike off the woodwork before finding Demirovic with a looping cross for the third. Both teams wore black armbands in memory of flood victims in Nepal and Norwegian King Harald V, who died on 28 August at age 89 and was buried in Oslo hours before kickoff.
- Ermedin Demirovic scores the opener for Stuttgart off the crossbar
- Zlatko Tripic equalises for Viking on a counter-attack
- Demirovic scores his second goal from a Deniz Undav pass
- Demirovic completes his hat-trick from another Undav assist
- Demirovic is substituted off to applause from the home crowd
Squad competition and forward options
Demirovic became the first player in VfB Stuttgart history to register a Champions League hat-trick. The 28-year-old Bosnian forward had started on the bench in the opening Bundesliga fixtures, a 1-5 defeat against Bayern Munich and a 4-1 victory against 1. FC Köln. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß had previously preferred new signing Dzenan Pejcinovic, who arrived from VfL Wolfsburg and scored three goals in a 4-0 cup win against Hansa Rostock. Following the match, Demirovic described the night as an unforgettable personal milestone.
Das ist so ein Tag, den ich in meinem Leben nicht vergessen werde. Ich glaube, jeder möchte Champions League spielen, jeder träumt von Toren. Ich mache drei in einer Halbzeit. Unfassbar. Also ich weiß gar nicht, was ich sagen soll. Ich bin so glücklich.
Sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth noted that the performance by Demirovic and Undav demonstrated the depth of the squad.
Schön, dass er hier ist. Das ist außergewöhnlich, etwas ganz Besonderes.
- Mohamed Salah
- 7 min
- Kylian Mbappé
- 7 min
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- 11 min
- Robert Lewandowski
- 11 min
- Ermedin Demirović
- 12 min
Viking response and European return
Between 57,500 and 60,000 supporters attended the match in Stuttgart. Viking Stavanger, managed by Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, competed in the European Cup competition for the first time in 34 years. Former Greuther Fürth attacker Zlatko Tripic leveled the match at 1-1 in the 22nd minute, scoring the Norwegian club's first Champions League goal on a counter-attack. Stuttgart had returned to the tournament 588 days after a 1-4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain ended their previous European campaign. Hoeneß also handed a starting place to Jamie Leweling over Josha Vagnoman, while goalkeeper Arild Östbö committed an error on Stuttgart's third goal before Demirovic was substituted in the 62nd minute.
Barcelona defeat Feyenoord in group opener
In other Wednesday league phase fixtures, FC Barcelona earned a 5-1 home victory against Dutch side Feyenoord Rotterdam. Barcelona captain Raphinha opened the scoring in the third minute after getting past two defenders, and added a second in the 57th minute from a Pedri pass. Former Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi scored Barcelona's second in the 22nd minute with a curling effort into the top right corner. Feyenoord had a 59th-minute goal from Nacho overturned for offside before Lamine Yamal added a fourth from a free kick in the 77th minute. Sem Steijn scored a late goal for Feyenoord in the 82nd minute before new signing Gabriel Jesus sealed Barcelona's fifth in the 85th minute.
