Aston Villa Beat Viking 3-1 to Stay Perfect in the Champions League
Aston Villa beat Norwegian champions Viking 3-1 at Villa Park on Wednesday, October 21, to make it three wins from three in the Champions League. Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendía scored in the first half, and Villa added a third through a Henrik Heggheim own goal.
Villa made a dominant start and missed chances early. Nicolas Jackson was twice put clean through by crosses from John McGinn and Buendía, but both efforts ended in the arms of Viking goalkeeper Arild Østbø. A deflected cross from Alysson then hit the crossbar before Barkley broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, glancing a near-post header into the net from a corner delivered by Ibrahim Mbaye.
Villa doubled their lead in the 37th minute. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty when Zlatko Tripić fouled Alysson, and Buendía converted it into the bottom corner. It was the Argentine's fourth goal in consecutive European appearances, a first for a Villa player.
Viking started the second half brighter and tested goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, but Villa soon put the game beyond them. In the 62nd minute, Alysson raced into the area on the counter and played a low cross, which Heggheim turned into his own net. The goal briefly lifted Villa to the top of the 36-team table on goal difference.
Viking, who drew 3-3 with Bayern Munich in their last Champions League match, got a consolation goal late on. In the 84th minute, Peter Christiansen finished Kristoffer Askildsen's cross with an acrobatic first-time shot, and the goal stood after VAR checked an offside call.
Villa had 21 shots to Viking's 10, with expected goals of 2.67 to 0.75, and created nine big chances to one. Mbaye's corner for Barkley's goal was his second assist in as many Champions League appearances, which equalled Jack Wilshere's record as the joint-youngest player (18 years and 270 days) to do so for an English club.
It was also Villa's 12th successive home win in European competition. Unai Emery said his side played a very safe match and dominated the first half. Villa have nine points from three games, with João Gomes playing at right-back in a makeshift line-up.