Napoli Concedes Two Quick Goals in Villarreal Champions League Match

Napoli lost control of their Champions League match against Villarreal on October 13, 2026, conceding twice in three minutes after Amir Rrahmani opened the scoring at Estadio de la Ceramica. Georges Mikautadze equalized in the 23rd minute, and Santiago Mouriño put the Spanish side ahead in the 26th minute, leaving Massimiliano Allegri's team trailing 2-1 at halftime. According to Corriere dello Sport's live coverage, Rrahmani scored in the eighth minute following a corner routine designed to create space for Billy Gilmour.

Gilmour delivered the ball into the area, where Rrahmani headed toward goal. Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior pushed the effort against the crossbar, but the Napoli defender reacted quickly to convert the rebound from close range. Il Napolista reported that the goal came from a rehearsed corner variation, marking Napoli's second goal from a set-piece routine after a similar move produced a goal against Fiorentina.

The earlier routine had created a shooting opportunity for Gilmour, while the move against Villarreal used the midfielder to deliver a cross.

Napoli threatened again as the first half progressed. Scott McTominay narrowly missed with a powerful diagonal effort in the 17th minute, and Rasmus Hojlund struck the junction of the crossbar and post with a header in the 22nd minute.

However, Napoli's advantage disappeared after a defensive mistake. Matteo Politano misjudged a pass intended for goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, allowing Georgian forward Georges Mikautadze to capitalize and level the score in the 23rd minute, according to Corriere dello Sport. Three minutes later, Villarreal completed the turnaround. Mouriño struck a powerful right-footed shot from outside the penalty area that beat Milinkovic-Savic, putting the home side ahead 2-1 in the 26th minute.

Napoli nearly found an equalizer when McTominay headed toward goal in the 34th minute, but the attempt was ruled out following an offside decision that the Italian outlet described as questionable. The first half ended after two minutes of added time, with Villarreal holding their narrow lead. Before the match, Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna explained that squad rotation was necessary amid a demanding schedule. Speaking to Sky, he said the team faced nine matches in 29 days and needed to manage player workloads while maintaining competitiveness across several competitions.

Manna also addressed McTominay's future at the club, confirming that the midfielder had two years remaining on his contract and wanted to stay. Napoli also wanted to retain him for as long as possible, and discussions were ongoing, according to the sporting director. Napoli entered the European fixture after a 3-0 Serie A victory over Frosinone, but they had lost their Champions League opener 1-0 against Arsenal.

Villarreal had suffered a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in La Liga and lost 3-2 away to Borussia Dortmund in their opening European match, according to Adnkronos. More than 1,600 Napoli supporters traveled to Spain for the second round of the Champions League group phase. Napoli's next Serie A fixture was scheduled to be an away match against Venezia the following weekend, as the club pursued domestic and European objectives.