Stuttgart have only faced one other Norwegian team in major European competition, losing home (0-1) and away (0-2) against Molde in the group stage of the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League.

This will be just the seventh time that a Norwegian team has faced a German side away from home in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, with only one of those producing a win for the travelling Norwegians (D1 L4): Rosenborg 3-0 Borussia Dortmund in October 1999.

For the first time since 2005-06, Viking will participate in the group stage of a major European cup competition. That campaign saw them eliminated from the UEFA Cup group stage, after winning just one of their four outings (D1 L2).

This will be Viking’s first appearance in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League since 1983-84, when they were defeated 5-1 on aggregate in their first round tie against Partizan Belgrade (lost 1-5 away, drew 0-0 at home).

Since the UEFA Champions League rebrand in 1992, Viking have become just the fourth Norwegian side to make it to the competition’s group stage after Bodø/Glimt, Molde and Rosenborg. Of those three sides, none won their opening match in the tournament (D1 L2).

Stuttgart return to the UEFA Champions League on a three-game losing run in major European competition, having lost their final three in the Europa League last term. They last lost four in a row between September and November 2007 in the Champions League.

Viking have lost 10 of their 12 prior UEFA Champions League/European Cup fixtures (W1 D1), with their only victory coming with a 2-1 success against Baník Ostrava in September 1976.

In their previous UEFA Champions League campaign in 2024-25, Stuttgart ranked joint-first in the for high turnovers per game (12.5) and first for shot-ending high turnovers per game (2.6), as well as fourth for fewest opposition passes allowed per defensive action (PPDA), with 10.

Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller averaged 14.1 line-breaking passes per 90 in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League, his previous appearance in the competition. That was the fourth most by any midfielder in that edition (min. 300 minutes played), behind only Luka Modric (16.9), Joshua Kimmich (15.9) and Manuel Locatelli (14.2).

Only six players were involved in more goals in all competitions last season across Europe’s big five leagues than Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav (39 – 25 goals, 14 assists) – meanwhile, only Emiliano Buendía (10) was involved in more goals in last season’s UEFA Europa League than the German forward (9 – 3 goals, 6 assists).