Aston Villa beat Viking 3-1 to preserve perfect Champions League start
Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendía scored before half-time at Villa Park, helping Villa make it three wins from three in the league phase.
Aston Villa beat Viking 3-1 at Villa Park on 21 October 2026 to make it three wins from three in the Champions League league phase, according to The Guardian’s match report. Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendía scored before half-time, and a Henrik Heggheim own goal extended Villa’s lead before Peter Christiansen replied for Viking.
BBC Sport said the result moved Villa to second in the league-phase table. The Guardian reported that Christiansen’s late goal cost Villa the chance to finish the night top of the 36-team standings.
How Villa built their lead against Viking
Villa created two early chances for Nicolas Jackson. He headed John McGinn’s chipped cross into goalkeeper Arild Østbø’s arms, then met a delivery from Buendía with the same result. A João Gomes cross later deflected onto the bar, and the ensuing corners led to the opener: Barkley headed in Ibrahim Mbaye’s delivery at the near post.
Buendía missed another opening when Østbø parried an Alysson shot and the rebound fell to him. He later converted a penalty after a video review of Viking captain Zlatko Tripic’s challenge on Alysson. The two first-half goals gave Villa control after their early missed chances.
Viking’s response and the late goal
Viking offered more going forward after half-time. A goalbound effort from Moi was blocked, while Villa goalkeeper Suzuki saved a drive from Tripic. Villa also found space as Viking pushed forward: Alysson sent one angled shot wide before breaking down the right again and attempting the cross that deflected off Heggheim for an own goal.
Jackson later fired over, and substitute Alejandro Garnacho had an effort saved. Christiansen then scored Viking’s consolation with a volley awarded after a video assistant referee review. The Guardian reported that Viking’s stronger second-half display merited a goal, even though Villa’s first-half lead and the own goal had put the result beyond them.
The win followed Villa’s victories in their first two league-phase games. Viking’s visit had also brought an earlier European meeting with English opposition into focus: the Norwegian side lost at Chelsea in 2002 before winning the return fixture and advancing in the Uefa Cup. That history was covered before this match in NewsJaws’ account of Viking’s previous Chelsea upset.
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Sources and context
- Barkley and Buendía on target as Aston Villa maintain perfect start against VikingThe Guardian
- Highlights - Champions League - Aston Villa 3-1 VikingBBC Sport
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.