Aston Villa maintained their perfect start to the UEFA Champions League league phase with a 3-1 victory over Viking FK at Villa Park on Wednesday, making it three wins from three.

Ross Barkley headed Villa ahead in the 23rd minute and Emiliano Buendía converted a 37th-minute penalty to establish a two-goal advantage before the interval. Henrik Heggheim’s own goal in the 62nd minute extended that cushion, with Peter Christiansen’s 84th-minute volley providing a late consolation for the visitors.

Villa build a decisive first-half lead

Barkley supplied the breakthrough after 23 minutes, finding the net with a header to put the hosts on course for another productive European evening.

Villa then strengthened their position in the 37th minute through Buendía, who converted from the penalty spot. At 2-0 heading into half-time, the hosts had turned their attacking threat into a substantial advantage.

The full-time numbers underlined that threat: Villa registered 21 shots to Viking’s 10 and put 10 attempts on target, compared with three from the Norwegian side. Their 54.6% share of possession was relatively modest, but the difference in goalmouth output was pronounced.

Own goal adds to Viking’s task

Viking’s hopes of finding a route back into the fixture suffered another blow in the 62nd minute, when Heggheim put through his own net to make it 3-0.

That left the visitors facing a formidable deficit, although they did finish with something to show for their attacking efforts. Christiansen struck with a volley in the 84th minute, denying Villa a clean sheet and reducing the margin to 3-1.

It was too late to change the outcome. Villa’s first-half work and third goal had given them enough breathing room to secure all three points.

Three wins from three for Villa

The victory takes Villa to nine points from their opening three league-phase fixtures. Viking remain without a win, with one draw and two defeats leaving them on one point.

For Villa, the combination of a two-goal first-half lead and a clear advantage in shots made this a deserved home success. The late concession took a little gloss off the evening, but not the value of another Champions League victory.