There is a palpable sense of anticipation ahead of the UEFA Champions League curtain-raiser as VfB look forward to more magical nights in Cannstatt and across the continent. “It’s a fantastic occasion,” said Sebastian Hoeneß. “We’re starting the competition at home, in our own stadium, with our fans behind us.”
The head coach believes his side are well prepared for Matchday 1 of the league phase when they host Viking Stavanger on Wednesday 9 September (kick-off 18:45 CEST).
Norwegian football in full flow
“They’re a team who would definitely hold their own in the Bundesliga,” said Hoeneß of the Norwegian champions. “They’re well organised, have a clear idea of how they want to play, and will probably try to pose us problems by sitting fairly deep.”
The tactician is keen for his players to focus on their own strengths, however, when they take to the pitch at the MHP Arena. “We want to take the game to them, keep the tempo high and dictate the pace,” Hoeneß added. “That also means not allowing ourselves to be caught out, either in transition or from set pieces.”
Incidentally, while the boys from Cannstatt have only just begun the 2026/27 season, 19 rounds of fixtures have already been played in Norway. Viking FK are currently three points behind leaders Bodö/Glimt.
Luca Jaquez and Nikolas Nartey making progress
In terms of personnel, there is nothing new to report from a VfB perspective – which is good news. All the players who featured in the 4-1 Bundesliga victory over 1. FC Köln on Friday came through it unscathed, while Luca Jaquez and Nikolas Nartey are both nearing a return to full training.
Dennis Seimen, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Tiago Tomás and Justin Diehl are all still sidelined, though.
