Villarreal ended a 12-match wait for a Champions League victory with a 3-1 comeback against Napoli at La Cerámica, turning an anxious opening into a night of release for Íñigo Pérez’s side. The Spanish club had not won in Europe since beating Olympique de Marseille 3-1 in March 2024, but recovered from an early setback to defeat the Italian visitors.
An early Napoli lead tests Villarreal again
The old doubts surfaced quickly when Amir Rrahmani put Napoli ahead in the eighth minute. The Kosovo defender met a corner with a header, and although Luiz Júnior made an initial reflex save, Rrahmani converted the loose ball.
Luiz Júnior had returned in Villarreal’s goal following the incident suffered by Gulácsi at home. His side were close to falling further behind shortly after the opener, when Rasmus Højlund headed against the crossbar.
- Rrahmani opened the scoring after eight minutes from a Napoli corner.
- Højlund struck the woodwork as Napoli threatened a second.
- Benoît Badiashile then blocked a Mikautadze effort that appeared destined for the net.
Mikautadze and Mouriño turn the night
Villarreal gradually found their footing and levelled in the 23rd minute through Georges Mikautadze. Matteo Politano’s attempted pass back to goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić lacked the required weight, allowing Mikautadze to intercept, round the Serbian goalkeeper and finish from a tight angle.
The equaliser transformed the atmosphere in Castellón. Three minutes later, Villarreal were in front. Gerard Moreno laid the ball off for Mouriño, whose long-range strike gave Milinković-Savić no chance and completed a rapid reversal.
That six-minute spell gave the home side the platform they needed after another difficult start in the competition.
Control, late resistance and the decisive counter
Villarreal managed the second half with greater composure, with fewer openings than before the interval. They nearly extended their advantage in the 56th minute when Moleiro beat his marker and picked out Gerard Moreno, only for Badiashile to cut out the final pass as the forward prepared to finish.
Gerard Moreno was also involved in an unusual passage caused by the new substitution regulations, which briefly left Villarreal with only nine players on the pitch before the situation was resolved.
Napoli pressed hard late on, and Luiz Júnior made an important intervention against Højlund after the Danish striker had produced an impressive individual run. Villarreal survived that threat before sealing the result in the 86th minute, when Tani Oluwaseyi completed a flowing team move on the counterattack.
- Villarreal led 2-1 at half-time after conceding inside eight minutes.
- Moleiro and Gerard Moreno combined for a major second-half chance.
- Luiz Júnior denied Højlund during Napoli’s late push.
- Oluwaseyi’s 86th-minute goal secured a 3-1 win.
A European burden lifted at La Cerámica
The final whistle brought a major celebration at La Cerámica. Villarreal had carried a 12-game Champions League winless run into the meeting with Napoli, but their response to adversity delivered the result they had been waiting for. The comeback does more than alter one European night: it ends a run stretching back to March 2024 and gives Pérez’s team a result capable of changing the mood around their continental campaign.
