Villarreal came from behind to defeat Napoli 3-1 in their UEFA Champions League encounter at the Estadio de la Ceramica on Tuesday, with Santiago Mouriño scoring the decisive goal before Tani Oluwaseyi sealed the victory late in the game.
Napoli took the lead in the eighth minute when defender Amir Rrahmani converted a rebound following a corner kick.
The visitors threatened to extend their advantage in the first half, hitting the woodwork twice, but Villarreal responded strongly.
Georges Mikautadze restored parity for the Spanish side in the 23rd minute with a left-footed finish from a tight angle.
Three minutes later, Mouriño put Villarreal ahead, finishing Gerard Moreno’s pass with a low effort into the corner.
Napoli introduced substitutes after the break and pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Villarreal remained organised defensively and limited the visitors’ opportunities.
The hosts extended their lead in the 86th minute when substitute Ayoze Pérez set up Oluwaseyi, who finished high into the net to secure all three points for Villarreal.
Despite the defeat, Napoli created several opportunities and recorded a higher expected-goals figure of 1.87 against Villarreal’s 1.34.
However, the Italian side struggled to convert their chances, while the hosts made the most of their opportunities.
Villarreal recorded 17 shots to Napoli’s 11 and edged the shots-on-target count 4-3.
The home side also won 54 per cent of the overall duels and made 29 clearances as they resisted Napoli’s attacking pressure.
Mouriño delivered an impressive performance, scoring the winning goal and contributing defensively.
The centre-back completed 44 of his 52 passes, won seven duels, made three clearances and recorded six recoveries.
Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Júnior also produced a steady display, while Oluwaseyi made an immediate impact off the bench with his late goal.
For Napoli, Rrahmani combined his opening goal with a threatening attacking display, while Billy Gilmour impressed in midfield.
However, goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić endured a difficult evening as Napoli suffered a disappointing defeat despite creating several scoring opportunities.
