![[Pre-Match Thread] Aston Villa vs. Viking (Champions League - League Stage)](https://www.eucup.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/1792516205_208_UA1WCcNEreGhCpgu3Pf2nRcbA8QPJl1Z7LUhDfqZbTQ-1024x767.jpeg "[Pre-Match Thread] Aston Villa vs. Viking (Champions League – League Stage)")
Aston Villa vs. Viking
Competition: Champions League – League Stage
Date: Wed 21 Oct 2026
Kickoff: 20:00
Venue: Villa Park
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer
Aston Villa Statistics (all competitions)
Form: WWDWW
Goals per match: 1.9
Average Possession: 46.9%
Goals conceded per match: 1.6
Pass Accuracy: 84.1%
Shots per game: 14.2
Clean Sheets: 3
Viking Statistics (all competitions)
Form: WWWDW
Goals per match: 2.6
Average Possession: 49.5%
Goals conceded per match: 1.3
Clean Sheets: 9
Aston Villa Team News
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Ian Maatsen has returned to training ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League tie against Viking but Aston Villa will be without Johan Manzambi and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
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Maatsen has been sidelined since our Premier League encounter against Nottingham Forest in mid-September but is now back with his team-mates at Bodymoor Heath.
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Unai Emery will be without Manzambi after he picked up a “small injury” in Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Newcastle United.
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Wan-Bissaka also hobbled off in the second half at St James’ Park and is expected to be absent for three to four weeks.
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They duo join Matteo Ruggeri and Amadou Onana on the sidelines for the European clash at Villa Park.
Viking Team News
- Martin Ove Roseth, Nick D'Agostino, Veton Berisha and Anders Baertelsen all remain out as they continue to recover from injuries.
How are you feeling? What's your starting XI? Predictions? UTV!
by just_boof_it
10 Comments
I know we outmatch them on paper but wondering if they are facing us at an ideal time with our defensive injuries.
Would love to have 9 UCL points in the bag before facing man City to just take some pressure off the campaign.
Good luck to the boys with a tough exhausting schedule 🙁
3 wins from 3 would be lovely going into Barca. Viking are not gonna be the same force away that put 3 past Bayern at home, while we’ve stuck six goals away across just the first halves against Brugge and Fenerbahce. So hopefully even with the defensive injuries we can blow past them and then give a few key players a bit of an early rest going into the City match at the weekend.
Should be a fun game.
I know they did well against Bayern, but I still think we’ll have enough, even with our injury woes.
Would love to see Mbaye get another start and would like to see THB and Garnacho get some decent minutes. Although I doubt we see much of Garnacho.
The left back position is obviously the one to watch, I doubt Maatsen is back in time. Could be any one of Lindelof, Bogarde, Mings, even McGinn or Fortes from the youth team. I’d like Fortes to at least be in the squad, apparent he’s done well with the u21’s and maybe he can so minutes against a so-called weaker team, just so he gets match time going forward if we need him. Whoever comes in, I’d imagine the left wing would be a defensively sound player, like Buendia, McGinn, or Hemmings to offer protection. I’d prefer Kamara and Lindelof (also Manzambi, but he’s already ruled out) to be rested with all the matches we have coming up with THB coming in to make his full debut. Interesting to see what happens with Garnacho, it’s unknown if the appearances he needs to make his transfer permanent include CL football (Elliot’s didn’t). Jackson to be taken off if we are leading by a lot. Maybe one of Goretzka or Barkley starts, or maybe both. Viking obviously drew against a Bayern super team, but we should be able to handle them at home
Do we reckon we’ll go with Alysson & Mbaye with McGinn in the 10 tomorrow. Was hoping we rest Kamara but with changes expected I’d still want us to have the best possible platform to win without too much struggle.
Watched their 3-3 with Bayern at home and was impressed. Also drew 3-3 with Dinamo Zagreb at home on mw1 (did go on to lose 3-1 away to Stuttgart in the next however). Currently level on points with Bodo at the top of Eliteserien (18-2-3), and we’ve seen what Bodo can do in the past few seasons. All of this to say – they’ve built up some pretty hefty momentum as a squad and from an earlier season start. Definitely greater than the sum of their parts and currently in form, so I’m feeling more cautious than previous weeks surprisingly.
We’re hitting good form ourselves though and I’ve got full belief in whatever squad we put out tomorrow to take 3pts, especially if VP is rocking. Just hope Tripic doesn’t get under the skin / hurt someone having seen a reel of his antics v Bayern.
UTV.
Every time I see these pre match threads posted I always think I’ve misremembered what day the match is
As a norwegian please villa get all three points
Worried that whoever plays left back catches an injury /hj
He’s in his bed, in his bed, manzambi
Glad Maatsen is back, he was in excellent form before he was injured.
Hopefully an early card or injury for their arsehole #10.