Villarreal achieved their first victory in the group stage of the Champions League after a comeback that allowed them to beat Napoli at La Cerámica. The victory, which gave them the three points necessary to advance, was sealed with a goal from Rrahmani in the second half, after the Italians' first two. Coach Íñigo Pérez highlighted the team's ability to react to adversity and the collective work that allowed them to reverse the situation.
Before Rrahmani's goal, Napoli had taken the lead thanks to a Rrahmani shot that slipped into the net. Villarreal, who had started the game with a solid defense, was forced to look for a comeback. The Yellow Submarine's pressure became evident when the players began to create scoring opportunities in the final third of the match, culminating in the goal that gave them the lead.
The groguet coach praised the team's attitude and recalled that in previous games it was difficult for them to recover after a mistake. "Before, each blow cost us and took us a little further away from the game plan and now it doesn't. I think we have clearly imposed ourselves," Pérez told Movistar Plus at the end of the match. The coach also highlighted the importance of resilience as a virtue that must continue to be developed in the coming games.
Íñigo Pérez considered that the result “represents a reaffirmation” for Villarreal, which in recent games had shown good performance. "In Dortmund we were very good, the other day at the Bernabéu we were good, at the Metropolitano too... and today, finally, against a great team, we managed to do very well and also get the three points, which I think is something that solidifies the idea," he added.
With this victory, Villarreal consolidates itself as one of the strongest teams in its group and advances with confidence towards the next phase of the competition. The next challenge will be to maintain the momentum gained and continue to demonstrate the ability to react to any adversity that arises in the games that follow.