Villarreal found a measure of European resolve at La Cerámica on Tuesday, overturning an early setback against Napoli to claim their first three points of this season’s Champions League campaign. Rrahmani had put the Italian visitors ahead, but the Yellow Submarine recovered to secure a hard-earned home win.
Key takeaways
- Villarreal registered their first points in the current Champions League with victory over Napoli.
- Napoli led through a goal from Rrahmani before the hosts turned the match around.
- Coach Íñigo Pérez praised his side’s increasingly reliable response to difficult moments.
- Pérez said the result strengthens Villarreal’s developing identity after encouraging displays in Dortmund, at the Bernabéu and at the Metropolitano.
A comeback that underlines progress
La Cerámica had to wait through a demanding evening before it could celebrate. Napoli’s opening goal threatened to pull Villarreal away from their intended path, yet Pérez felt his players remained composed and gradually took control of the contest.
“We have been showing that we respond well to adversity, not only today,” Pérez said after the match. “We have shown it in recent games too, and it is a very important quality to develop for what lies ahead.”
The Villarreal coach contrasted this performance with earlier struggles, when conceding a blow could disrupt his team’s approach. This time, he said, the group did not lose sight of its plan after falling behind and ultimately established itself clearly in the game.
European nights add weight to Villarreal’s idea
For Pérez, the Napoli result was more than a first Champions League points haul. It was confirmation of a run of performances that had offered promise even when the rewards had not always followed.
He pointed to Villarreal’s displays in Dortmund, at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu and at Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano as signs that the team had been building towards this moment. Against Napoli, however, they combined that level of performance with the result.
“It is a reaffirmation,” Pérez said. “We played well in Dortmund, we were good at the Bernabéu and at the Metropolitano as well. Today, finally, against a major opponent, we performed very well and took the three points. That helps make the idea more solid.”
