Aston Villa secured another important Champions League victory, beating Norwegian side Viking FK 3–1 at Villa Park to maintain their impressive European form.
Villa entered the match full of confidence after their emphatic 6–0 win over Fenerbahçe, and Unai Emery’s men delivered another strong performance in front of their home supporters.
Ross Barkley found the net to help Villa take control, while Emiliano Buendía converted a penalty to strengthen the hosts’ advantage. Youngster Alysson also made his mark as Villa continued to threaten going forward.
Viking refused to give up and managed to find the net through Peter Christiansen, but their response was not enough to deny Villa another three points.
The visitors had previously shown their attacking quality by scoring three goals against Bayern Munich, so Villa’s ability to secure the win was an important result for their European campaign.
For Villa, the victory strengthens their position in the league phase and builds further momentum under Emery. Viking, meanwhile, will take encouragement from their goal but must improve defensively if they are to challenge Europe’s strongest sides.
THE BIG TAKEAWAY:
Aston Villa are making their home ground a difficult place for European visitors, and their attacking confidence continues to grow.
Can Unai Emery lead Villa on a serious Champions League run this season?