Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery guided his side to a third consecutive Champions League victory with a 3-1 triumph over Norwegian visitors Viking on Wednesday. The hosts built a two-goal interval lead en route to securing two home wins alongside an opening away victory at Club Brugge, climbing to second in the standings.
Midlands outfit cruise past Norwegians
Emery watched his team build upon their stellar 6-0 demolition of Fenerbahce by comfortably dispatching a stubborn Norwegian outfit that held Bayern Munich to a 3-3 draw last week. Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendia scored before the break, and a Henrik Heggheim own goal sealed the victory, despite Peter Christiansen pulling back a late strike. The result marks a fifth win in six matches across all competitions for the hosts.
First-half blitz settles European contest
Villa dominated the opening exchanges as visiting goalkeeper Arild Ostbo denied Nicolas Jackson before Barkley broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute by glancing in Ibrahim Mbaye's precise corner kick. Buendia then doubled the advantage from the penalty spot 10 minutes later following a VAR review after Zlatko Tripic fouled Alysson inside the danger area.
The hosts effectively settled the contest in the 62nd minute when Heggheim inadvertently turned another dangerous Alysson delivery into his own net. Although Christiansen converted Kristoffer Askildsen's cross late on following a successful VAR check for offside, Villa comfortably secured another emphatic statement victory right there on home soil.
Historic milestones underline continental pedigree
Victory extended the Villans' extraordinary winning run in major European home fixtures to 12 consecutive matches, matching the longest historical streak achieved by any English club this century. The Midlands side also became the first Europa League holders since Manchester United in 2017-18 to triumph in their opening three matches of the tournament.
Furthermore, reaching 20 victories in just 30 European Cup and Champions League outings makes them the second-fastest team in history to hit that landmark, trailing only Real Madrid who required 29 matches. This incredible run highlights their status as serious contenders on the continental stage under the former Sevilla and Villarreal tactician.
Blockbuster Barcelona clash awaits Villans
Having firmly overcome their early sluggish start to the domestic campaign, Emery's resurgent squad sit proudly second in the elite European table after three rounds of fixtures. Their flawless continental campaign will face its ultimate test when they travel to face La Liga leaders Barcelona next month. Until then, the manager remains entirely focused on sustaining their impressive momentum across upcoming Premier League fixtures.