Ross Barkley celebrate after scoring
Aston Villa maintained their perfect start to the Champions League campaign with a comfortable victory over Viking at Villa Park, recording their third consecutive win in the competition.
Unai Emery’s side followed their emphatic 6-0 victory over Fenerbahce with another impressive display against the Norwegian outfit, who had held Bayern Munich to a 3-3 draw in their previous match.
Villa dominated the early exchanges and took the lead in the 23rd minute when Ross Barkley converted Ibrahim Mbaye’s corner at the near post.
The hosts continued to control proceedings and doubled their advantage eight minutes before the break. Emiliano Buendia calmly converted from the penalty spot after Alysson was brought down by Zlatko Tripic, with VAR confirming the decision.
Viking showed greater attacking intent after the restart but struggled to contain Villa’s pressure.
The English side extended their lead in the 62nd minute when Alysson delivered a dangerous cross that Henrik Heggheim inadvertently turned into his own net.
Alejandro Garnacho, who joined Villa on loan from Chelsea, came off the bench and produced an energetic performance. The winger nearly added a fourth goal, but his effort was saved by Viking goalkeeper Arlid Ostbo.
Viking grabbed a late consolation with four minutes remaining when Peter Christiansen scored with an acrobatic finish. The goal was initially ruled out for offside before a VAR review overturned the decision.
However, the late strike did little to affect the outcome as Villa secured another three points, extending their winning run at home in European competition to 12 consecutive matches.
The victory further underlined Emery’s reputation as a seasoned European campaigner, with Villa continuing to impress in their Champions League campaign.
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