UCL: Aston Villa Cruise Past Viking in Champions League
Aston Villa extended their unbeaten run to six games with a 3-1 win over Viking, keeping their 100% record in the Champions League league phase intact at Villa Park.
Aston Villa maintained their perfect start to the Champions League league phase with a dominant 3-1 victory over Viking at Villa Park, as Unai Emery's side showcased their aerial superiority and attacking flair to secure a third straight win.
Aston Villa thrash Viking to stay perfect in Champions League...
Aston Villa thrashed Viking to preserve their perfect start to their Champions League campaign.
Unai Emery's side extended their unbeaten streak to six matches across all competitions, maintaining their 100% record in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League as they eased past Viking 3-1.
Viking earned an impressive point at home to Bayern Munich last time out in this competition, but with their advantage of regularly playing on an artificial surface, it was unclear how they would fare away from familiar surroundings against last season's Europa League winners.
And for much of the first half, they struggled to adapt to the Villa Park surface as Unai Emery's side dominated from the outset.
Nicolas Jackson was an early threat, squandering two headed chances he should have buried inside the opening 10 minutes, before Joao Gomes saw his cross tipped onto the bar by Gianni Stensness midway through the half.
Villa made the most of their obvious aerial superiority from the resulting corner to take the lead, as Ross Barkley glanced Ibrahim Mbaye's delivery in at the near post.
Mbaye then saw a tame effort comfortably held, before Emiliano Buendia somehow headed wide after Arild Ostbo parried Alysson's cross into his path.
The Norwegian keeper then pulled off a superb save to deny Buendia again, but Villa's pressure was bound to tell.
After Zlatko Tripic brought down Alysson inside the area, a VAR review awarded a penalty, which Buendia stepped up to dispatch, sending Ostbo the wrong way to give the Villans a deserved two-goal cushion.
The start of the second half was far more evenly contested, with Viking managing their first effort on target when Tobias Moi fired straight at Zion Suzuki.
Tripic also tested the Villa keeper with a powerful drive, but it was the hosts who continued to carve out the better openings.
Alysson was a constant menace down the right flank, and his burst to the byline and cutback was almost turned in by Buendia with an audacious flick, only for Ostbo to intervene.
The Brazilian winger then prodded narrowly wide before playing a key role in the game's third goal, beating his marker and seeing his cross turned into his own net by Henrik Heggheim.
That goal meant Viking had conceded three in each of their opening three league-phase matches, but they were at least determined not to ship four for the first time.
The visitors even went one better when Peter Christiansen volleyed past Suzuki from close range, the first goal Villa had conceded in the competition this season.
It proved to be little more than a consolation, however, as Villa deservedly secured all three points.
The victory also means they are the second-fastest side ever to reach 20 wins in the Champions League.
Aston Villa extend winning start 💜 #UCL https://t.co/uNyRv5JqQC
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 21, 2026
Viking, meanwhile, are still waiting for their first victory at this level, while the defeat means a Norwegian side has still never won in England (D2, L27).
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