Viking visit Aston Villa in Champions League after historic Chelsea upset
The Norwegian champions face Villa on 21 October in their first Champions League league phase, with a dramatic Bayern draw and a past win over Chelsea behind them.
Aston Villa host Norwegian champions Viking at Villa Park on Wednesday, 21 October, in Champions League matchday three. Viking are making their first appearance in the competition's league phase, and arrive after a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich. Villa have won both of their opening matches.
How Viking reached the Champions League league phase
Viking won the Norwegian title in 2025, their ninth championship and first since 1991, according to talkSPORT. They beat Dinamo Zagreb in an August play-off to reach this season's league phase. The club had been in Norway's second tier as recently as 2019.
Sports Mole describes this as Viking's first Champions League campaign since their 1992-93 debut. Their league-phase campaign began with a 3-1 defeat away to Stuttgart, followed by the draw at home to Bayern. Viking led Bayern 2-0, fell behind and scored a 90th-minute equaliser to take their first point.
Viking's UEFA Cup win over Chelsea
Viking's previous European meeting with English opposition produced an upset. In the first round of the 2002-03 UEFA Cup, they lost 2-1 away to Chelsea before winning the home leg 4-2, advancing 5-4 on aggregate. The Chelsea side was managed by Claudio Ranieri and included John Terry, Frank Lampard and Gianfranco Zola, talkSPORT reported.
That was not Viking's only notable UEFA Cup result. They eliminated Sporting Lisbon in the 1999-2000 competition, winning 3-1 on aggregate after a 3-0 home victory, according to talkSPORT. The Chelsea tie remains a precedent for the Norwegian club ahead of its return to face an English opponent.
Aston Villa's form before the Viking match
Villa opened their Champions League league phase with a 3-2 win at Club Brugge, then beat Fenerbahce 6-0 at home. Both outlets describe the latter as Villa's biggest European win. Sports Mole places Villa third in the 36-team standings after two matches and reports a 14-match unbeaten home run in European competition, including 11 straight wins at Villa Park.
The fixture gives Villa a chance to extend that start, while Viking seek their first win of the league phase. Their draw with Bayern shows why Villa face an opponent with recent evidence of resilience as well as a memorable result against English opposition.
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Sources and context
- Aston Villa's UCL opponents Viking are debutants who once shocked ChelseatalkSPORT
- Preview: Aston Villa vs Viking FK - prediction, team news, lineupsSports Mole
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.