The Estadio de la Ceramica provides the backdrop for a high-stakes clash between Villarreal and Napoli in the UEFA Champions League. Both teams are in dire need of points after suffering losses at the start of the league stage this season.
Villarreal suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on matchday one and will be eager to bounce back in the 50th round of the Champions League. However, the build-up to the momentous occasion did not go according to plan as Inigo Perez’s side lost 1-0 to Real Madrid last weekend.
Jan Diomande’s second-half winner ended Villarreal’s two-game winning streak in La Liga, dampening the mood at the Castellon club ahead of this match. In stark contrast to Massimiliano Allegri’s men beating Frosinone 3-0 on Saturday, Napoli’s confidence received a huge boost.
Kevin De Bruyne stole the show and scored his first Serie A double to extend Partenopei’s unbeaten run in all competitions to three matches (W2, D1). However, last season’s Serie A runners-up can’t be complacent after a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal in their Champions League opener.
Despite Napoli’s recent upturn in form, Allegri is still not out of the woods. His future at the Diego Maradona Stadium remains one of Serie A’s hottest topics amid Napoli’s poor start to the league.
Match preview
Villarreal
It was a difficult start to the season for Perez, who led Rayo Vallecano to the final of the UEFA Conference League last season. Apart from 3-1 wins over Malaga and Levante during the September international break, Villarreal are winless in their remaining seven competitive matches this term (D2, L5).
One of those five defeats came in the Champions League opener at Signal Iduna Park, extending Villarreal’s losing streak in Europe’s elite club competition to seven. Thus, the Yellow Submarine could become the first Spanish team to lose eight games in a row in the European leaderboard.
Facing Napoli at La Cerámica bodes well for Villarreal’s hopes of avoiding that unwanted streak, as the Italian have lost just two of their 13 home clashes against the visitors (7G, D4). However, their overall record against the Partenopei suggests this contest could go either way (W2, D2, L2).
A quick start will certainly boost Villarreal’s chances of picking up three points, but it’s worth noting that they have failed to find a first-half point in their last seven Champions League appearances.
Naples
Allegri looks to be on course to steady the ship as Napoli remain unbeaten in all three matches after a heavy defeat to Arsenal in their Champions League opener. However, the Italian giants bring a four-match Champions League winless run into this encounter (D1, M3), underscoring their struggles on the continental front.
In addition, “Napoli” won only one of the last 7 games in this competition (D2, L4). This sounds particularly worrying given their appalling away record against Spanish opposition as they have won just once in their last nine trips to the Iberian nation (D1, L7).
Given Napoli’s recent struggles on the European stage, this trend seems unstoppable. Allegri’s men have failed to win any of their last six away matches in the Champions League (D1, L5). Three of those five losses came in the league stage last season and each was by a wide margin.
Against this background, “Napoli” has won or lost by more than one goal in only one of the last six matches. On that basis, it promises to be a closely fought contest.
Team News
Villarreal will be without ex-Inter winger Tajon Buchanan, who remains on the treatment table with a muscle injury. Nicolas Pepe’s absence could be even more dire given the Ivorian’s importance in Perez’s build-up. Ayoze Perez could return to the starting line-up as the former Arsenal man will miss this clash.
Meanwhile, Napoli will go into this trip amid a serious injury crisis. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Alisson Santos, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mathias Olivera, Antonio Vergara and Costantino Favasuli are on the bench. On the bright side, Scott McTominay returned to action last weekend.
Villarreal – Napoli Potential Starting Lineups
Villarreal (4-2-3-1): Gulac; Mourinho, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Comesana, Gueye; Ahomach, Miller, Perez; Mikautadze.
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Marin, Rrahmani, Badiashile; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Neres, De Bruyne; Hojlund.
Villarreal – Napoli prediction
Villarreal’s home record against Italian opposition is encouraging, while Napoli’s recent domestic revival should help them compete on equal terms. However, neither side has shown enough consistency to warrant overt favoritism. Therefore, an unpopular share of loot may be on the cards.
Prediction: draw
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