Ermedin Demirovic sent a powerful message to VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß with a historic Champions League hat-trick. The 28-year-old forward scored three times in just 12 minutes against Viking on Wednesday night, becoming the first player in the club's history to net a treble in Europe's premier competition.

The goals came in the 20th, 26th and 32nd minute, sealing a 3-1 home victory. Demirovic, who had been restricted to substitute appearances in Stuttgart's first two Bundesliga matches, made the most of his first start of the season. "For me, it was obviously a perfect start. For us as a team, too," the Bosnian said post-match. His 20th-minute opener broke the deadlock, Viking equalised two minutes later, before Demirovic decided the game with two more strikes.

Hoeneß faces pleasant headache

The outstanding performance arrives at a time of fierce competition up front. New signing Dženan Pejčinović, who himself debuted with a hat-trick in the DFB Cup, was preferred from the outset in the league openers. Demirovic has responded with four goals in his last four appearances, including his first Bundesliga goal of the season after 15 minutes in the 4-1 win over Cologne. "It certainly didn’t hurt that he made such a good impact off the bench," Hoeneß said after that game. "He will play a good role for us this year. He’s an important player for us."

The team's current form is mixed. Following the commanding Champions League success, VfB lost the regional derby away to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2-1 last weekend. That leaves Stuttgart 14th in the Bundesliga table with three points from three games. The next fixture is the top match against second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. A full overview of the upcoming challenges is available on our fixtures page.

Demirovic's historic hat-trick was the fifth-fastest in Champions League history since 1992. He is only the second Bosnian player, after Edin Džeko, to achieve the feat. After a season where he scored 15 goals but started only 17 times, the forward appears galvanised by the added competition. For Hoeneß, the decision on who leads the line against Dortmund on Saturday has just become much tougher. The current injury list, which sidelines several key players, can be checked on our injuries page.

The report in full is at bundesliga.com