Aston Villa maintained their 100 per cent start to the Champions League campaign after they earned a comfortable 3-1 victory over Norwegian side Viking at Villa Park.
Unai Emery’s side have turned the tables on a difficult start to the season and picked up their fifth win from six across all competitions and climbed to second in the Champions League standings after three matches.
The Eliteserien visitors pulled off a miraculous 3-3 draw with German champions Bayern Munich last week but they were unable to recreate the same heroics a week later as Villa picked up another win, just one week after thrashing Fenerbahce 6-0.
Ross Barkley nodded Villa in front for his third goal in this season’s competition already before Emi Buendia doubled their advantage from the spot and Henrik Heggheim’s own goal made the result safe.
Villa were top of the table until Peter Christiansen pulled a goal back for Viking in the 84th minute which was reward for their improved second half while denying Villa a third straight clean sheet.
Viking keeper Arild Ostbo started a busy night in goal by denying a pair of Nicolas Jackson headers inside the opening 10 minutes.
The Norwegian side seemed to be holding their own but were nearly caught out when Joao Gomes’ deflected cross bounced off the crossbar and out for a corner.
Villa’s goal had been coming though, and after a sustained spell of pressure, Ibrahim Mbaye’s perfectly-weighted corner found the run of Barkley who flicked his header beyond Ostbo.
The Premier League side were beginning to flex their superiority and almost made it two but Mbaye was stopped by Ostbo and Buendia was unable to turn home the rebound.
Ostbo was not allowed a moments peace and he was called into action again to get behind a free header from Buendia but the Argentine was not to be denied from the penalty spot moments later.
Referee Sebastian Gishamer failed to spot Zlatko Tripic’s foul on Alysson inside the box but stopped play a minute later following a VAR check and pointed to the spot where Buendia coolly slotted home.
Zion Suzuki had his first piece of action in the 49th minute to catch a Tobias Moi shot from range as the visitors made a bright start to the second period.
Villa continued in their search for more goals but Buendia’s goalbound back-heel was unable to beat Ostbo while Alysson dragged wide from a one-on-one range.
Viking were not laying down without a fight and Suzuki was becoming busier but Villa soon made the result safe with a third just after the hour mark.
Alysson was causing problems for Viking all night, and it was thanks to him that Villa went 3-0 up when his cross into the box deflected off Heggheim and into the goal.
Viking gave Villa something to think about when they pulled a goal back six minutes from time after Kristoffer Askildsen’s cross was ferociously volleyed in by Christiansen.