Champions League
2026-09-09 - VfB Stuttgart vs Viking
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; UEFA Champions League: 1st Round
MHP Arena – Stuttgart, Germany
Wednesday, 09th September 2026 - kickoff 18:45 CET
VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart head into their Champions League return in much better shape than their Bundesliga opener suggested. Sebastian Hoeness' side were beaten 5-1 by Bayern Munich on the opening weekend, but they responded strongly in their first home league game, beating Köln 4-1 after a dominant performance.
There is plenty to like about VfB Stuttgart's European record at home. They won all four of their home league-phase matches in last season's UEFA Europa League and have won four of their last five league-phase games in UEFA competition.
Their last 16 European matches have also produced 56 goals, so there is a strong argument for expecting an open game rather than a cautious UEFA Champions League opener.
VfB Stuttgart will have some absentees, with Tiago Tomás injured and Nikolas Nartey suspended, while Dennis Seimen, Luca Jaquez and Justin Diehl are also unavailable according to the latest team-news reports.
Nevertheless, coach Hoeness still has plenty of attacking quality available, including Deniz Undav, Demirović, El Khannouss, Chris Führich and Dzenan Pejcinovic.
Viking
Viking are not coming to Germany simply to make up the numbers. The Norwegian champions reached the Champions League league phase for the first time after eliminating Dinamo Zagreb 5-3 on aggregate, following a 2-2 draw away and a 3-1 home win. They have also lost only one of their last six European matches, while scoring in 10 of their last 11 European games.
The issue is that their domestic momentum has dipped slightly at the wrong time. Viking were held to a 1-1 draw by Sandefjord in their latest Eliteserien match and now face a much tougher test against a VfB Stuttgart side coming off a convincing home victory. They remain second in Norway, right behind Bodo/Glimt.
Viking's European experience is limited compared with their hosts, and their record against German opposition is not particularly encouraging. They have won only two of 11 such matches, drawing three and losing six, while they have never won away in Germany.
Several players are also unavailable, including Martin Ove Roseth, Anders Baertelsen and Veton Berisha, with Henrik Falchener and Nick D'Agostino also reported as injury concerns.
The Betting Verdict
VfB Stuttgart is the stronger side on paper and have the home advantage, while their response to the Bayern Munich defeat (4-1 home win against Koln last Friday) was exactly what you would want to see before a European opener.
Viking have enough attacking threat to cause problems, but VfB Stuttgart's greater squad depth and experience should eventually tell.
The visitors have scored regularly in Europe, so VfB Stuttgart to win and both teams to score is more appealing than taking a very short home-win price on its own.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Viking
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take VfB Stuttgart to win & BTTS at odds of 2.10 with Bet365
