Napoli's defending improved a lot after their early September losses to Inter Milan and Arsenal but still can't be trusted on the road. I will back them to share the spoils with inconsistent Villarreal.
Key Stats
- Villarreal are winless in 7 of their last 9 matches.
- Napoli are unbeaten in their last 3 matches.
H2H Stats are Tied
These two clubs locked horns six times so far, and the score is tied at 2-2.
Mixed Results for Villarreal
Villarreal struggled defensively in their UCL main stage opening match against Borussia Dortmund, allowing 2.83 expected goals and six goal chances to the opposition, leading to a 3-2 defeat at Signal Iduna Park.
Their form has also been inconsistent in La Liga throughout September, losing to Real Betis 2-1, while earning 3-1 victories against Malaga and Levante.
Last weekend, the Yellow Submarine travelled to Santiago Bernabeu and lost 1-0 against Real Madrid. They had 0.60-1.43 expected goals and 4-4 shots on target here but didn't create a big chance to score.
Napoli Unbeaten Since Early September
Napoli were also beaten in their UCL opening clash, losing 1-0 to Arsenal in front of their home crowd. The defeat could have been much heavier, as they finished the match with 0.23-4.04 expected goals and 5-26 shots.
Massimiliano Allegri's side then defeated Bologna 1-0 in the Italian Serie A while allowing just 0.30 xG, followed by a 1-1 road draw against Fiorentina which was a fair outcome.
Napoli returned to action last weekend with a commanding 3-0 home victory against recently promoted Frosinone, Kevin De Bruyne stealing the spotlight here by netting a brace, Noa Lang also on target.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Villarreal (4-2-3-1) Peter Gulacsi; Santiago Mourino, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga, Sergi Cardona; Santi Comesana, Pape Gueye; Ilias Akhomach, Alberto Moleiro, Ayoze Perez; Georges Mikautadze
Winger Tajon Buchanan remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Nicolas Pepe faces a late fitness evaluation due to an eye issue.
Winger Tajon Buchanan remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Nicolas Pepe faces a late fitness evaluation due to an eye issue.
Napoli (3-4-2-1) Alex Meret; Rafa Marin, Amir Rrahmani, Benoit Badiashile; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Stanislav Lobotka, Scott McTominay, Leonardo Spinazzola; David Neres, Kevin De Bruyne; Rasmus Hojlund
While Scott McTominay and goalkeeper Alex Meret have returned to action, Frank Anguissa, Alisson Santos, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mathias Olivera, Antonio Vergara, and Costantino Favasuli are out.
While Scott McTominay and goalkeeper Alex Meret have returned to action, Frank Anguissa, Alisson Santos, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mathias Olivera, Antonio Vergara, and Costantino Favasuli are out.