Barkley and Buendía score as Aston Villa beat Viking 3-1 to keep perfect Champions League start
Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendía scored as Aston Villa defeated Viking 3-1 in the Champions League on 21 October 2026 in front of the Holte End. Peter Christiansen’s late volley, awarded by the video assistant referee, gave Viking a consolation after Villa had earlier taken a commanding lead.
“We’ve conquered before, we’re prepared for more,” read the pre-match display held up by the Holte End, and the hosts produced a dominant first half that left them on course for a routine victory. The current Villa side were described as giving an outward impression of Champions League contenders, and they would have ended the night top of the competition’s 36-team table until Christiansen’s strike. Viking’s second-half resurgence, however, lent credence to their status as Norwegian champions coming into the fixture.
Unai Emery rotated his squad, handing an 18-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye a start on the left with Johan Manzambi slightly injured, and also selected Pau Torres, Ross Barkley and John McGinn. Villa created early openings: within minutes McGinn found Nicolas Jackson twice but both headers were comfortably held by Arild Østbø, and Jackson later teed up McGinn for a blocked effort in the 15th minute. João Gomes saw a cross deflect onto the bar before Mbaye’s delivery from a corner allowed Barkley to climb highest and head Villa in front at the near post.
After Østbø parried a shot from Alysson, Buendía nodded a rebound wide, but he later converted from the penalty spot following a VAR review. The review suggested Alysson, who tumbled after running into traffic in the area, had been felled unnecessarily by Viking captain Zlatko Tripic; the spot-kick was awarded and Buendía’s conversion extended Villa’s lead.
Viking were relatively subdued in the first half but emerged with renewed purpose after the interval under joint managers Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen. Tobias Moi forced a save from Zion Suzuki and produced a blocked side-footer, while Tripic’s drive was held by Suzuki as Viking grew more assertive. That pressure briefly threatened Villa’s control, but Alysson then burst clear down the right, his attempted cross clipping Henrik Heggheim and looping past Østbø for an own goal.
Nicolas Jackson continued to look for a decisive touch as Emery turned to his bench; Alejandro Garnacho came on and had an effort saved. Viking’s late reply arrived when Peter Christiansen produced an acrobatic volley which was awarded after a VAR check, leaving the visitors with a memorable consolation and denying Villa a night at the summit of the group table.
The result preserved Aston Villa’s perfect start in the Champions League while Christiansen’s effort prevented them from finishing the evening top of the 36-team standings.
