Villarreal is preparing for its first match in the group stage of the Champions League, when it will host Napoli at La Cerámica. After the 1‑0 defeat against Dortmund in their debut, Víctor Sánchez's team is looking for a victory that will allow them to consolidate their presence in the European competition. However, the statistics against Italian teams at home are not favorable: in the last six home games, the club has only achieved one victory, with six goals for and eleven against.
Villarreal's historic performance against Serie A dates back to 2002-2003, when the club began to participate in European competitions. Since then, they have faced transalpine rivals on thirteen occasions, obtaining seven victories, four draws and two defeats in their stadium. In the matches against Naples, the balance is more favorable, with two wins and one defeat. The last victory came in the round of 16 of the 2010-2011 Europa League, when Villarreal beat the Neapolitan club 2-1.
Regarding the last confrontation with an Italian team, Villarreal drew 2-2 against Juventus in the group stage of the 2021-2022 Champions League. In addition, the club has recorded draws against Atalanta (2-2) and Juventus (1-1) in the same season. In the 2016 Europa League, Villarreal achieved a 1‑0 victory over Napoli, eliminating them from the competition in the round of 16.
Villarreal's next match against Napoli will be played on Tuesday and will be an opportunity for the Champions League team to break their streak of negative results against Serie A on their own turf. The result of this match could set the stage for the club's European campaign and determine its position in the group table. Naples, for its part, seeks to take advantage of the advantage of playing at home and overcome a rival that has shown difficulties in recent confrontations. With both teams looking for a point, the match promises to be a tactical and competitive duel that will define the course of both clubs in the Champions League.