Preview: Aston Villa vs Viking FK - prediction, team news, lineups

A resurgent Aston Villa side welcome Norwegian outfit Viking FK to Villa Park for matchday three on the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The hosts are bidding to make it three wins out of three in the League Phase of Europe’s premier club competition, while the visitors are hoping to pick up their first three points of the campaign.

Match preview

After failing to win their opening three games of the new Premier League season without scoring, Aston Villa have since posted five victories in their last seven fixtures across all competitions (D1 L1), netting 19 goals in the process.

Unai Emery celebrated his 100th Premier League win as a manager last weekend, as his Villa side edged to a 1-0 success at Newcastle United courtesy of a first-half header from summer signing Johan Manzambi – his third goal in four appearances.

Villa sit 12th in the Premier League table, but they currently occupy third position in the 36-team Champions League standings after following up a 3-2 opening win at Club Brugge with a thumping 6-0 home triumph over Fenerbahce in last week’s matchday two fixture – their biggest-ever European win.

One of nine UCL teams with maximum points at this early stage, Villa head into Wednesday’s contest seeking to protect two impressive club-record runs in European competition: a 14-match unbeaten home streak (W13 D1) and an active 11-game winning run at Villa Park.

The reigning Europa League winners have had few problems scoring goals on the continent, failing to make the net ripple in only one of their last 23 games and striking three or more goals in six of their last eight such matches.

Competing in the Champions League for the first time since their debut in 1992-93, Viking FK have collected only one point from their opening two League Phase fixtures, but they can take plenty of positives from their most recent encounter with Bayern Munich.

After suffering a 3-1 away defeat to Stuttgart in their opening match, Viking responded by serving up a six-goal Champions League classic for the home faithful last week. Having squandered a two-goal lead to trail German heavyweights Bayern, the hosts showed immense character to secure a famous 3-3 draw, netting a 90th-minute equaliser.

Under the tutelage of joint head coaches Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen, Viking became Norwegian Eliteserien champions for the first time in over three decades last year. They remain firmly in the race to retain their title in the 2026 campaign, as they sit level on points with Bodo/Glimt at the top of the table with only seven games remaining.

The Dark Blues extended their winning league run to four matches courtesy of a 3-2 comeback victory at home to Fredrikstad last Saturday. Their only defeat across their last 12 matches in all competitions was the aforementioned loss to Stuttgart last month (W8 D3).

A trip to Birmingham is up next for Viking, whose only previous European meeting against English opposition came in the 2002-03 UEFA Cup first round when they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, before winning the reverse fixture 4-2 on home soil to progress 5-4 on aggregate.

Aston Villa Champions League form:

Aston Villa form (all competitions):

Viking FK Champions League form:

Viking FK form (all competitions):

Team News

Aston Villa’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka (hamstring) was forced off against Newcastle and is set to join Ian Maatsen (ankle), Amadou Onana (knee), Matteo Ruggeri (thigh) and Modo Cisse (unspecified) on the sidelines. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, meanwhile, is ineligible for the Champions League.

George Hemmings (knee) is a minor doubt, while Manzambi should recover from a knock to feature from the start, though Emery may consider resting the midfielder should he freshen up his starting lineup.

Tammy Abraham, Brian Madjo will both rival Nicolas Jackson for the centre-forward role, while Ibrahim Mbaye, Ross Barkley, Pau Torres and Leon Goretzka are all pushing for a place in the first XI, the latter is yet to make his full debut since joining in the summer.

With no natural left-back fit and available, Tyrone Mings may be tasked with starting on the left side of a four-man defence. Matty Cash should continue at right-back, while Torres could link up with Victor Lindelof at centre-back.

As for Viking FK, Martin Ove Roseth (knee), Nick D'Agostino (leg), Veton Berisha and Anders Bærtelsen (both unspecified) all remain out as they continue to recover from injuries.

Zlatko Tripic has been involved in three of Viking's four Champions League goals so this season (one goal, two assists) and he is likely to start in attack alongside 14-goal top scorer Peter Christiansen and new signing Erik Botheim.

Kristoffer Haugen will hope to replace Vetle Auklend at left-back, while Bristol-born New Zealand international Joe Bell could be joined in centre-midfield by Henrik Bjordal and Kristoffer Askildsen.

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Mings; Kamara, Barkley; McGinn, Buendia, Mbaye; Jackson

Viking FK possible starting lineup:

Ostbo; Heggheim, Stensness, Falchener, K. Haugen; Bjordal, Bell, Askildsen; Tripic, Botheim, Christiansen

We say: Aston Villa 3-1 Viking FK

Given that Aston Villa’s last eight Champions League games have produced a whopping 34 goals (4.25 per game on average), expect the net to ripple on multiple occasions in Wednesday’s contest.

The hosts will be wary of the goal threat Viking have regularly posed on the continent thus far, but Emery's side should ultimately have enough quality to outscore their opponents and preserve their 100% record in the League Phase.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.