VfB Stuttgart's Champions League campaign began with a statement. Ermedin Demirovic scored a hat-trick in just 12 minutes to put the Bundesliga side firmly in control against Norwegian champions Viking Stavanger, with the final score reading 3-1. The result carries extra weight given the turbulence surrounding Demirovic earlier in the summer, when false reports claimed coach Sebastian Hoeneß wanted to sell him. Hoeneß denied those claims firmly, and Demirovic has now answered his critics on the biggest club stage, having also scored the decisive goal in Stuttgart's 4-1 win over Köln the previous week.

That Köln victory was itself a turning point. Stuttgart had opened the Bundesliga season with a 1:5 defeat at Bayern Munich, leaving the club at the bottom of the table. The response against Köln steadied the ship, and the Champions League win over Viking has added genuine momentum heading into the weekend. Sitting ninth in the Bundesliga with three points from two games, the squad now travels to face Hoffenheim on Saturday.

The summer transfer window reshaped the squad considerably. Chema Andres joined Brighton for up to 23 million euros, Badredine Bouanani moved on loan to Rangers, and Mirza Catovic joined Barcelona's second team. Jamie Leweling, heavily linked with AS Roma and Borussia Dortmund, stayed put. The club enters a demanding run of fixtures across three competitions with a leaner but motivated group, and Demirovic's European heroics suggest confidence is building at exactly the right time.