Villarreal beats Napoli 3-1 in Champions League comeback
Napoli squanders early lead as Politano error sparks Villarreal turnaround in Spain.
KEY POINTS
- Villarreal defeats Napoli 3-1 in Champions League Matchday 2
- Rrahmani scores early opener for Napoli in 8th minute
- Politano back-pass error leads to Villarreal's second goal
- Oluwaseyi scores late third to secure comeback win
- Villarreal ends 12-match Champions League winless streak
Villarreal recovered from an early deficit to defeat Napoli 3-1 in their Champions League league-phase match at Estadio de la Ceramica. Amir Rrahmani gave Napoli an 8th-minute lead with a tap-in after Luiz Junior saved his initial header.
Villarreal equalised in the 23rd minute through Georges Mikautadze. Three minutes later, Matteo Politano's misplaced back-pass allowed Mikautadze to set up Mourino for the second goal.
“Villarreal wanted to play out from the back, attracting pressure from Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli, organised without the ball and aggressive on the outside.”
Oluwaseyi sealed the victory for the hosts with a third goal in the 86th minute. The win marks Villarreal's first Champions League victory since April 2022, ending a 12-match winless run in the competition.
Napoli, managed by Massimiliano Allegri, have now lost their opening two European fixtures following a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal. Scott McTominay made his first start for the club five weeks after heart surgery.
Villarreal were forced into a late goalkeeping change after Peter Gulacsi withdrew following an armed robbery at his home the previous night. Luiz Junior started in his place and made a crucial early save.
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