UEFA Champions League Preview: Villarreal vs Napoli – Team News, Lineups & Prediction

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Estadio de la Cerámica forms the backdrop for a high-stakes UEFA Champions League clash between Villarreal and Napoli. Both teams desperately need points after suffering defeats at the start of this season’s league phase. The post UEFA Champions League Preview: Villarreal vs Napoli – Team News, Lineups & Prediction appeared first on The Cult of Calcio .

Estadio de la Cerámica forms the backdrop for a high-stakes UEFA Champions League clash between Villarreal and Napoli. Both teams desperately need points after suffering defeats at the start of this season’s league phase.

Villarreal fell to a dramatic 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund on matchday one and will be eager to bounce back in their 50th Champions League outing. However, preparations for this landmark occasion didn’t go according to plan as Inigo Perez’s side lost 1-0 at Real Madrid last weekend.

Yan Diomande’s second-half winner knocked Villarreal off a two-game winning run in La Liga, dampening a feel-good factor at the Castellon club ahead of this fixture. In stark contrast, Napoli’s confidence received a major boost as Massimiliano Allegri’s men trounced Frosinone 3-0 on Saturday.

Kevin De Bruyne stole the show, netting his first Serie A double to extend the Partenopei’s unbeaten streak in all competitions to three matches (W2, D1). Yet, last season’s Serie A runners-up cannot afford to get complacent after a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal in their curtain-raising Champions League game.

Despite Napoli’s recent uptick in form, Allegri is not out of the woods yet. His future at the Diego Maradona Stadium remains one of the hottest topics in Serie A amid Napoli’s underwhelming league start.

Match Preview

Villarreal

It’s been a rough start to the season for Perez, who led Rayo Vallecano to the UEFA Conference League final last season. Except for back-to-back 3-1 wins over Malaga and Levante on the stroke of September’s international break, Villarreal have gone winless in their remaining seven competitive matches this term (D2, L5).

One of those five defeats arrived at Signal Iduna Park in their Champions League opener, extending Villarreal’s losing run in Europe’s elite club competition to seven. As such, the Yellow Submarine could become the first Spanish side to lose eight consecutive games at Europe’s top table.

Facing Napoli at La Cerámica bodes well for Villarreal’s hopes of avoiding that unwanted feat, as they’ve lost just two of their 13 home clashes against Italian visitors (W7, D4). However, their overall record against the Partenopei suggests this contest could go both ways (W2, D2, L2).

A fast start would undoubtedly bolster Villarreal’s chances to claim three points, but it’s worth noting that they’ve failed to find the net in the first half across their last seven Champions League outings.

Napoli

Allegri looks to be on track to steady the ship, with Napoli going unbeaten in all three matches since a chastening defeat to Arsenal in their opening Champions League fixture. Yet, the Italian giants bring a dismal four-game winless Champions League run into this meeting (D1, L3), highlighting their woes on the continental front.

Furthermore, Napoli have only won one of their last seven games in this competition (D2, L4). That sounds particularly alarming when factoring in their dreadful away record against Spanish opposition, as they’ve secured just one win on their last nine visits to the Iberian country (D1, L7).

Bucking that trend doesn’t seem likely, considering Napoli’s recent struggles on the European scene. Allegri’s men have won none of their last six Champions League away matches (D1, L5). Three of those five losses came in last season’s league phase, with each producing a multi-goal margin.

Against this backdrop, Napoli have won or lost by more than one goal in just one of their last six matches. On that basis, this promises to be a closely fought contest.

Team News

Villarreal will be without former Inter winger Tajon Buchanan, who remains on the treatment table with a muscle injury. Nicolas Pepe’s absence could be far more ominous, given the Ivorian’s importance to Perez’s setup. With the ex-Arsenal flop set to miss this clash, Ayoze Perez could return to the starting lineup.

Meanwhile, Napoli will take this trip amid a severe injury crisis. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Alisson Santos, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mathias Olivera, Antonio Vergara, and Costantino Favasuli are all on the sidelines. On the bright side, Scott McTominay returned to action last weekend.

Villarreal vs Napoli Potential Starting Lineups

Villarreal (4-2-3-1): Gulacsi; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Comesana, Gueye; Akhomach, Moleiro, Perez; Mikautadze.

Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Marin, Rrahmani, Badiashile; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Neres, De Bruyne; Hojlund.

Villarreal vs Napoli Prediction

Villarreal’s home record against Italian opposition offers encouragement, while Napoli’s recent domestic revival should help them compete on equal terms. However, neither side has shown enough consistency to warrant outright favouritism. Therefore, an unpopular share of the spoils could be on the cards.

Prediction: Draw

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