Barkley and Buendía on target as Aston Villa maintain perfect start against Viking
Aston Villa maintained a strong start in the Champions League with a victory over Viking, despite conceding a late goal. The match highlighted Villa's dominance in the first half and their current competitive standing in Europe.
Why it matters
Aston Villa's performance in European competition is a major narrative for the club's resurgence and tactical development under Unai Emery.
Ross Barkley soaks in the cheers after giving Aston Villa a first-half lead. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters Ross Barkley soaks in the cheers after giving Aston Villa a first-half lead. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters Champions League Barkley and Buendía on target as Aston Villa sink Viking to maintain perfect start Nick Ames at Villa Park Wed 21 Oct 2026 22.07 BST Last modified on Thu 22 Oct 2026 00.41 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google For a little over 20 minutes, Aston Villa could look down on the rest of Europe. They had scaled the Champions League summit on goal difference when Henrik Heggheim put through his own net and the fact was not lost on the Holte End, who reflected their position in song and perhaps allowed themselves another glimpse back to the days when their supremacy was undisputed.
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