Aston Villa beat Viking as Barkley and Buendía take control
Aston Villa beat Viking of Norway in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Ross Barkley heading the opener and Emiliano Buendía scoring a penalty to take control at Villa Park.
It was Viking's first visit to a Premier League side since 2002, when they lost to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Uefa Cup, the competition now known as the Europa League. They came in on the back of a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich the week before, a match in which Bayern's Michael Olise was sent off.
Villa's breakthrough came in the 23rd minute. Ibrahim Mbaye, a left-sided player who is 18, swung in an inswinging corner, meaning it curled towards the goal as it came in. Barkley rose and headed it firmly home. Mbaye started on the left in place of the injured Johan Manzambi.
The second goal arrived from the penalty spot. A video assistant referee, known as a VAR, checked the incident and judged that Alysson had been fouled in the box by Viking captain Zlatko Tripic. Buendía stepped up and scored.
Viking had their moment too. Peter Christiansen struck an acrobatic volley, a shot hit on the full swing while the ball is in the air, and it was given after a VAR review. It did not change the outcome, but it gave the away fans something to cheer.
Villa arrived in a confident mood. They had thrashed Fenerbahce 6-0 in the Champions League a week earlier, with Nicolas Jackson and Barkley each scoring twice. They then beaten Newcastle in the Premier League before this game.
For Barkley, the header was another reminder of his knack for big moments in Europe, and a sign of how the two-goal night against Fenerbahce has not been a one-off. For Mbaye, the 18-year-old, it was a night to remember on his first start in this competition's spotlight.
The Champions League is played in a league phase, where every team plays eight matches against different opponents and the table decides who goes through. Villa's next test is a trip to Barcelona on 3 November, a game that will show how far this side can push at the top end of Europe.
