Preview: Villarreal vs Napoli - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking their first points in this season's Champions League, Villarreal and Napoli will clash at Estadio de la Ceramica on Tuesday evening.

Both clubs failed to escape the league phase last term, so they are desperate to get up and running on matchday two.

Match preview

Villarreal's current campaign began in familiar style, as the Spanish side continued a dismal run of results in Europe's top competition last month.

Now without a win in 12 Champions League matches, they suffered a 10th loss during that spell, going down 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

Having finished 35th out of 36 teams in last season's league phase, Villarreal are already facing an uphill struggle to qualify for the knockout rounds this term.

Not only must they face Napoli, challenging games against Liverpool and double champions Paris Saint-Germain await further down the line.

Another loss on Tuesday would see them become the first Spanish club to suffer eight straight defeats in either the European Cup or Champions League - they already hold the current record of seven.

It has been a tough start to life in the Valencian city for Inigo Perez, whose side finally got off the mark before the international break with back-to-back league wins.

However, when they returned to action on Saturday, the Yellow Submarine were sunk by 10-man Real Madrid, leaving them in the middle of La Liga.

Winless in four Europa League meetings, Napoli beat Villarreal twice in the 2011-12 Champions League, and they remain the Italian side's only wins against Spanish opposition at Europe's top level.

Like Tuesday's hosts, the Partenopei made very little impact last season, also failing to get through the league phase. Similarly, they started this year's campaign with a defeat.

Despite their status as hosts, Napoli's xG against Arsenal reached just 0.22 - the lowest of any team on matchday one. Max Allegri's men only registered eight touches in the opposition box, summing up a timid display against the Premier League champions.

Allegri has yet to convince his doubters since succeeding Antonio Conte, but recent results in Serie A have kept all but the harshest critics at bay.

Before international football intervened, Napoli beat Bologna and picked up a point away to Fiorentina, then they returned to duty with a 3-0 defeat of in-form Frosinone on Saturday. Including a re-taken penalty, after Rasmus Hojlund had initially missed, Kevin De Bruyne bagged a brace at Stadio Maradona.

Yet, the Campanian club tend to struggle on the road, and particularly on their travels around Europe: they will head to Spain without win in six Champions League away games, having lost all but one.

Villarreal Champions League form:

Villarreal form (all competitions):

Napoli Champions League form:

Napoli form (all competitions):

Team News

Villarreal will be missing former Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Nicolas Pepe (eye) is also a doubt.

Perez must choose between Ayoze Perez, Georges Mikautadze and Tani Oluwaseyi to start up front; none has hit top gear this term, with Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye the club's leading La Liga scorer on three.

Meanwhile, Napoli pair Rafa Marin and Frank Anguissa will return to El Madrigal, having both spent loan spells there in the past.

The latter may not be ready to play, though, having missed several games with a thigh problem; Alisson Santos, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mathias Olivera, Antonio Vergara and Costantino Favasuli are also set to sit out.

More positively, Scott McTominay returned from a minor heart operation at the weekend, when goalkeeper Alex Meret made his comeback between the posts.

Up front, Hojlund will hope to rediscover his early Champions League form. The Danish striker notched seven goals in his first eight appearances but has scored in just one of six games since then.

Villarreal possible starting lineup:

Gulacsi; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Comesana, Gueye; Akhomach, Moleiro, Perez; Mikautadze

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Meret; Marin, Rrahmani, Badiashile; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Neres, De Bruyne; Hojlund