Villarreal vs Napoli - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking their archetypal points successful this season's Champions League, Villarreal and Napoli volition clash astatine Estadio de la Ceramica connected Tuesday evening.

Both clubs failed to flight the league signifier past term, truthful they are hopeless to get up and moving connected matchday two.

Match preview

Villarreal's existent run began successful acquainted style, arsenic the Spanish broadside continued a dismal tally of results successful Europe's apical contention past month.

Now without a triumph successful 12 Champions League matches, they suffered a 10th nonaccomplishment during that spell, going down 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund successful Germany.

Having finished 35th retired of 36 teams successful past season's league phase, Villarreal are already facing an uphill conflict to suffice for the knockout rounds this term.

Not lone indispensable they look Napoli, challenging games against Liverpool and treble champions Paris Saint-Germain await further down the line.

Another nonaccomplishment connected Tuesday would spot them go the archetypal Spanish nine to endure 8 consecutive defeats successful either the European Cup oregon Champions League - they already clasp the existent grounds of seven.

It has been a pugnacious commencement to beingness successful the Valencian metropolis for Inigo Perez, whose broadside yet got disconnected the people earlier the planetary interruption with back-to-back league wins.

However, erstwhile they returned to enactment connected Saturday, the Yellow Submarine were sunk by 10-man Real Madrid, leaving them successful the mediate of La Liga.

Winless successful 4 Europa League meetings, Napoli bushed Villarreal doubly successful the 2011-12 Champions League, and they stay the Italian side's lone wins against Spanish absorption astatine Europe's apical level.

Like Tuesday's hosts, the Partenopei made precise small interaction past season, besides failing to get done the league phase. Similarly, they started this year's run with a defeat.

Despite their presumption arsenic hosts, Napoli's xG against Arsenal reached conscionable 0.22 - the lowest of immoderate squad connected matchday one. Max Allegri's men lone registered 8 touches successful the absorption box, summing up a timid show against the Premier League champions.

Allegri has yet to person his doubters since succeeding Antonio Conte, but caller results successful Serie A person kept each but the harshest critics astatine bay. 

Before planetary shot intervened, Napoli bushed Bologna and picked up a constituent distant to Fiorentina, past they returned to work with a 3-0 decision of in-form Frosinone connected Saturday. Including a re-taken penalty, aft Rasmus Hojlund had initially missed, Kevin De Bruyne bagged a brace astatine Stadio Maradona. 

Yet, the Campanian nine thin to conflict connected the road, and peculiarly connected their travels astir Europe: they volition caput to Spain without triumph successful six Champions League distant games, having mislaid each but one.

Villarreal Champions League form:

Villarreal signifier (all competitions):

Napoli Champions League form:

Napoli signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Villarreal volition beryllium missing erstwhile Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, who is presently sidelined with a hamstring injury, portion Nicolas Pepe (eye) is besides a doubt.

Perez indispensable take betwixt Ayoze Perez, Georges Mikautadze and Tani Oluwaseyi to commencement up front; nary has deed apical cogwheel this term, with Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye the club's starring La Liga scorer connected three.

Meanwhile, Napoli brace Rafa Marin and Frank Anguissa volition instrumentality to El Madrigal, having some spent indebtedness spells determination successful the past.

The second whitethorn not beryllium acceptable to play, though, having missed respective games with a thigh problem; Alisson Santos, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mathias Olivera, Antonio Vergara and Costantino Favasuli are besides acceptable to beryllium out.

More positively, Scott McTominay returned from a insignificant bosom cognition astatine the weekend, erstwhile goalkeeper Alex Meret made his comeback betwixt the posts. 

Up front, Hojlund volition anticipation to rediscover his aboriginal Champions League form. The Danish striker notched 7 goals successful his archetypal 8 appearances but has scored successful conscionable 1 of six games since then.

Villarreal imaginable starting lineup:

Gulacsi; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Comesana, Gueye; Akhomach, Moleiro, Perez; Mikautadze

Napoli imaginable starting lineup:

Meret; Marin, Rrahmani, Badiashile; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Neres, De Bruyne; Hojlund

We say: Villarreal 1-1 Napoli 

Although some person started to improve, neither broadside has impressed successful home competition, and their caller European records are abysmal. 

So, the brace whitethorn cancel each different retired successful a tense scrap astatine El Madrigal, leaving some Perez and Allegri frustrated.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.