Emery Names Buendía in Villa's Front Three as Viking Visit Villa Park

Aston Villa and Viking have confirmed their starting XIs for Wednesday's Champions League league-phase meeting at Villa Park, and the two shapes point in opposite directions. Unai Emery sets his side up in a 3-4-2-1, with Emiliano Buendía operating in the two behind the central striker. Viking arrive with a 4-3-3, Alysson Edward included from the start.

The team news lands with Villa chasing a third straight win in the competition. Emery's side have taken all six points from their opening two European fixtures, including a 6-0 demolition in their previous home outing, and followed that with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday. The selection reflects a manager unwilling to break a winning structure: the back three stays, the wing-backs supply the width, and Buendía is trusted as one of the two creators tasked with unpicking a visiting block.

The 3-4-2-1 gives Villa three central defenders and a four-man midfield band, with Buendía and a partner floating between Viking's midfield and defence. That is the zone where this match will be decided. Against a 4-3-3, the two tens can occupy the half-spaces either side of Viking's single holding midfielder, forcing the visitors' wide forwards to track back or leaving Villa's wing-backs free to advance.

Buendía's inclusion is the headline call. He is the recognised creator in the front line, and Emery has built the attacking third around him rather than a second out-and-out striker. The trade-off is familiar: more control between the lines, less penalty-box presence. Villa's opening two European results suggest the balance has been right so far.

Viking answer with a conventional 4-3-3, three midfielders across the middle and Alysson Edward starting in the front line. The shape asks their wide forwards to press Villa's back three while the midfield three screens the space in front of the defence. The risk is the same space Buendía wants. If Viking's midfielders step out to meet him, gaps open behind them; if they hold, Buendía gets time to face the defence and pick passes.

Erik Botheim and Gianni Stensness are the other names to watch in the Viking XI, with Arild Østbø also included. The visitors arrive with a clear underdog profile in this competition, and the 4-3-3 is a shape built for disciplined defending and quick transitions rather than sustained possession at Villa Park.

Emery has resisted rotation. After the Newcastle win, the temptation was to shuffle, but the confirmed XI keeps the spine intact and keeps Buendía central to the plan. For Viking, the 4-3-3 with Edward starting signals a willingness to defend in numbers and break through the wide channels rather than sit entirely deep.

The match is the third round of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase, kicking off at 19:00 UK time at Villa Park. Villa's perfect start is on the line against a side set up to make the evening awkward. The decisive detail is the space between Viking's midfield and defence, and which of Buendía or Viking's midfield three owns it first.