- 1 Stuttgart vs Viking: a Bundesliga heavyweight against a European debutant
- 2 Stuttgart brushed off their Munich battering with a 4-1 win over Cologne
- 3 Viking, Norwegian champions, begin their first campaign
- 4 Champions League prediction Stuttgart vs Viking
- 5 First, a word on our free tips
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Stuttgart vs Viking: a Bundesliga heavyweight against a European debutant 
Five goals shipped on the opening day of the Bundesliga: VfB Stuttgart got their season up and running in the worst possible way in Munich. Their European opener now arrives in a context nobody at the club would have wanted.
Kick-off is set for Wednesday, September 9 at 6:45 p.m. local time, in Stuttgart. Matchday one of the league phase pits together two clubs that have never met in an official game.
Stuttgart earned their place in the competition by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season. That spot booked them straight into the league phase, no qualifiers needed.
Viking, meanwhile, are playing in the Champions League for the first time in their history. The Stavanger club sealed their ticket after winning the Norwegian title on the final day of the 2025 season.
That ninth league crown ended a 34-year wait since their previous one in 1991. One point was enough on the last day to get the job done.
The Norwegians arrive in the middle of their domestic season, with the Eliteserien running on a calendar-year schedule. Viking are currently second in the table, still right in the title hunt.
That scheduling gap is one of the key factors here. Stuttgart are only just getting going, while Viking arrive with months of match rhythm already in their legs.
Stuttgart brushed off their Munich battering with a 4-1 win over Cologne 
The 5-1 defeat in Munich on matchday one left scars in the table and in the head. VfB found themselves 18th and bottom of the Bundesliga after that first outing, with zero points on the board.
Hosting FC Cologne on Friday, September 4 gave them a chance to steady the ship: Stuttgart won 4-1, putting the Rhine side to the sword despite the visitors arriving at the MHP Arena with three points already banked. After two games, Stuttgart are back in the top half of the standings.
The summer window has not exactly made life easier for the staff in Swabia. Chema Andres joined Brighton on September 1 in a deal Opta Analyst ranked among the best moves of the final day of the English market.
Two other young players also headed out the door shortly after. Mirza Catovic went on loan to Barcelona with an option to buy tied to performance targets, while Badredine Bouanani joined Glasgow Rangers, also on loan with an option.
Those exits have thinned out the squad at the exact point where league and Europe start piling up. Rotation is going to be a tricky business with two games a week.
The positive is the level they showed last season, when they finished fourth in the Bundesliga. The spine of that team is still there; only the fringe pieces have moved on.
Getting a club that is brand new to the competition is also about as friendly a draw as they could have hoped for to open a European campaign. The MHP Arena gives Stuttgart a setting they know, and an opponent with no points of reference.
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Viking, Norwegian champions, begin their first campaign 
Viking won the 2025 Eliteserien by a single point, sealed on the final day. That ninth domestic title ended a 34-year drought.
The Stavanger club had not been champions since 1991, which tells you everything about the size of the achievement. The reward is a place in the Champions League, their first ever.
In the current 2026 campaign, Viking sit second in the Norwegian top flight. The reigning champions are still in the race, even if they have not quite broken clear.
Peter Christiansen leads the line with nine league goals this season. His total rises to 10 in all competitions, making him the main threat in the Norwegian setup.
The Scandinavian calendar works in the visitors’ favour when it comes to match sharpness. Stuttgart are only two competitive games into their season, while Viking have been playing since the spring.
But that rhythm can cut both ways at this point in the year. The freshness you build up early on tends to give way to real wear and tear by September.
The context of the 2025 title is worth remembering when judging this team. Winning by one point after 30 rounds suggests a side that wins tight games more than one that blows opponents away.
Peter Christiansen alone accounts for a major chunk of Viking’s attacking output, with 10 goals in all competitions. Shut him down and you take away a huge part of their threat at the MHP Arena.
The financial gulf between the two clubs is also hard to bridge in a single league-phase tie. With no previous meeting to lean on, there is no psychological edge to call on either way.
Expected Stuttgart lineup: Not available at the time of publication.
Expected Viking lineup: Not available at the time of publication.
Champions League prediction Stuttgart vs Viking
Our pick: Stuttgart to win and over 2.5 goals in the match
Stuttgart finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season and are at home against a side making its competition debut. The 4-1 win over Cologne showed they can bounce back after the hammering in Munich. The structural gap between the two squads is not something you close in one night.
Both teams have also shown they can leave space behind them: five goals conceded by VfB on one league weekend, and a Norwegian attack driven by Peter Christiansen’s nine league goals. A tight, cagey game feels unlikely.
Stuttgart need a clean, convincing result to kick off their European season. Back the German side to win in a match that goes beyond 2.5 goals.
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