Villarreal turned a difficult Champions League night at La Cerámica into a statement win, recovering from an early Napoli lead before sealing a 3-1 victory that gave Iñigo Pérez’s side a badly needed continental lift.
A comeback built on Napoli’s mistake
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Napoli made the sharper opening and went ahead from a rehearsed corner routine. After two short passes, Billy Gilmour delivered into the box and Amir Rrahmani scored, following an initial intervention involving Luiz Júnior and the crossbar.
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Villarreal took time to settle but began creating chances. Georges Mikautadze saw one effort diverted for a corner by Benoît Badiashile, while Carlos Romero, Pape Gueye, Gerard Moreno and Renato Veiga all found shooting positions without testing Vanja Milinković-Savić.
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Napoli retained a threat through Kevin De Bruyne between the lines and the width supplied by Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Matteo Politano. Politano’s cross was met by Rasmus Højlund, whose finish struck the frame of the goal.
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The match swung when Politano badly misplaced a defensive pass. Mikautadze seized on it, beating the stranded Milinković-Savić with a low angled finish to level the score.
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Villarreal struck again four minutes later. As Napoli pushed forward and lost their shape, Santiago Mouriño drove a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area to put the home side in front.
Villarreal withstand the late pressure
Napoli responded by increasing the tempo and forcing Villarreal to defend deeper, but the Spanish side protected their advantage without abandoning the counter-attacking routes that had changed the contest.
Villarreal were close to extending the lead when Moleiro produced a fine individual move to set up Gerard, only for Badiashile to block the attempted close-range finish. At the other end, Luiz Júnior, starting because of Gulácsi’s absence, made an important stop when Højlund threatened to bring Napoli back into the match.
With the visitors still searching for an equaliser, Oluwaseyi delivered the decisive moment. His outstanding late strike made it 3-1 and allowed La Cerámica to enjoy the closing minutes rather than endure them.
For Villarreal, who had not often found themselves leading in Europe’s elite competition of late, the result was more than a comeback. It was a night in which an early setback, Napoli’s individual error and a disciplined second-half response combined to reshape their Champions League week.
