- Viking FK arrive here in excellent shape, having won 6 of their last 10 matches across all competitions.
- Stuttgart are unbeaten in 2 home games and have averaged 3.50 goals per game in 2 home matches across all competitions.
- This is the first-ever meeting between the two clubs so head-to-head records are unavailable.
Vikingene can pull off a surprise
Viking FK look well prepared for Wednesday's UEFA Champions League against VfB Stuttgart at MHPArena in Germany. Vikingene arrive here in fine form, having lost just one of their last 10 games, while they've won six and are unbeaten in five.
Morten Jensen has done a superb job with Viking FK since taking over as head coach in January 2021. His well-organised 4-3-3 system ensures that the side always have a compact block when out of possession, while Vikingene are always dangerous in transition.
The visitors have some good away legs coming into the fixture, having backed up a 1-3 win at IL Brodd in the NM Cup with a 1-1 draw away at Sandefjord in Eliteserien last time out. Viking should be able to get on the board in this encounter, but it remains to be seen whether they can keep Stuttgart at arm's length for long enough to cause an upset.
Swabians will leave space at the back
Sebastian Hoeneß' side are sharp, front-footed and have been scoring goals since the German took the reins in April 2023. Die Schwaben are coming off the back of a 5-1 mauling away at Bayern, but then shrugged that result off with a 4-1 hammering of Koln at home on Sunday, so there's still venom in the attack.
However, Hoeneß' high-press, possession-based game should leave space in the channels between the lines that Viking's system is set up to exploit, and there's also a danger of Stuttgart getting overrun at the full-backs if they push too many men forward.
The odds are heavily stacked against an away win in this fixture, with Vikingene priced at 9.5 to win, and our main selection has to be in that market. With the odds so unbalanced, we're also backing Over 2.5 match goals at 1.28 and Both Teams to Score at 1.57 in this one.
