Napoli ended the European night with a defeat to remember: 3‑1 against Villarreal in Seville, the second consecutive in the Champions League after the 1‑0 defeat against Arsenal at Maradona. The match, which had started with an advantage for Rrahmani and a post from Hojlund, turned into a scoring spree that left the club in a position of serious alarm.
At first the match looked promising. Rrahmani opened the scoring and McTominay created chances, but Hojlund's post left Napoli in a 0‑2 position. Politano's mistake opened the door for Mikautadze to equalize, and a few minutes later Mourino completed the comeback. Lately Oluwaseyi scored the third goal for Villarreal, ending the match with a 3‑1. Napoli, however, were unable to react after the break, showing too fragile a game economy when Villarreal increased the pace.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri expressed his frustration during the Sky post-match, underlining the importance of managing decisive moments as best as possible. "Champions League matches are like this, you have to make as few mistakes as possible. We can't concede the second goal," he said. Allegri also criticized the collapse in the second half, calling the team "a team that knows its qualities should not fall apart like in the second half". He highlighted the need to stop and reflect, especially on the crucial moment of 2‑1, where Napoli "had to be more reactive in closing on the shooter, but first we made four senseless passes of one meter, giving them time to come and press us".
The result brought Napoli's balance problem back to the surface. Despite the 3-0 win over Frosinone, which had restored confidence, the defeat against Villarreal raised questions about defense and clarity, especially after the break. Allegri reiterated that, since the start of the championship, Napoli have had many offensive situations but concede too much, and that it is necessary to find a more solid balance. “All these goals require greater defensive attention,” he added.
With zero points after two matchdays, Napoli find themselves in a delicate position in the European rankings. Allegri, however, does not consider the path to be compromised: "We have every chance to get through," he declared. Before proceeding, however, the club will have to rediscover the defensive solidity that was lacking in the most critical moments, in order to avoid further warning signs and guarantee a competitive position in the Champions League.