VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Viking: result and report

Report

VfB Stuttgart beat Viking 3-1, and Ermedin Demirovic scored all three of their goals inside the first 32 minutes. Viking were level for four minutes. After that they never threatened to get back in it, because Stuttgart made the better chances and had far more of the ball.

Demirovic opened the scoring on 20 minutes from Angelo Stiller's pass. Viking replied almost at once, though, when Zlatko Tripic finished Henrik Bjørdal's assist on 22 minutes.

That equaliser lasted only four minutes. Demirovic restored the lead on 26 minutes and completed his hat-trick on 32, with Deniz Undav setting up both goals.

Chances behind the scoreline

The scoreline was a fair reflection of the chances, because VfB Stuttgart created far more of them. They finished with 2.25 xG to Viking's 0.8, ten shots to four and four big chances to one. They also hit the woodwork, so the margin could have been wider.

The territory told the same story. Stuttgart had 62% of the ball, and their attacking pressure averaged more than double Viking's across the match. This was steady control rather than a side hanging on after a quick start.

There is one counter-signal. Each side had three shots on target. Stuttgart scored with all three of theirs, while Viking's three produced one goal and two saves from the home goalkeeper. On target, the gap came down to Demirovic's finishing as much as to the volume of chances.

Demirovic and Viking's brief reply

Demirovic was the standout player of the match with a 9.16 rating, despite not being the only Stuttgart attacker involved. Undav's two assists show how much of the damage came through their link-up.

Viking deserve credit for the speed of Tripic's equaliser, though one big chance across the whole game is a thin return. Once they fell behind again, they had little to offer.