Villarreal host Napoli in Champions League matchday two clash
Villarreal and Napoli meet on 13 October at the Estadio de la Cerámica in the UEFA Champions League league stage, with both clubs looking to build momentum in matchday two of the competition.
It comes only two days after Redge reported on Napoli's lengthy absentee list ahead of their Serie A fixture, adding extra scrutiny to their travelling squad for this trip to Spain.
Form guide
Neither side arrives with a settled run of results. Villarreal have won two and lost three of their last five across competitions, while Napoli have also claimed two wins alongside a draw and two defeats in the same span. The two teams are therefore level on wins from their recent matches, suggesting a contest that could turn on fine margins rather than one side's clear superiority in form.
Villarreal's sequence has included wins sandwiched between losses, a pattern that leaves little room to predict which version of the side will turn up, while Napoli's draw and defeats have kept them from building any sustained run of their own.
History between the sides
The two clubs have met five times previously, with the most recent encounter a 2022 friendly won 3-2 by Villarreal after Napoli had led. Their only prior Champions League meetings came in 2011, when Napoli won both legs, while a pair of Europa League ties in 2016 produced a win for Villarreal and a draw.
That record shows a fairly even history overall, even if Napoli's two Champions League victories a decade ago remain the only previous meetings between the sides in this exact competition.