Villarreal got their first Champions League win of the 2026-27 campaign by beating Napoli 3-1 at La Cerámica on matchday 2 of the league phase. Amir Rrahmani put Napoli ahead in the eighth minute, but the game flipped quickly. Georges Mikautadze equalised in the 23rd minute, Santiago Mouriño made it 2-1 in the 26th, and Tani Oluwaseyi sealed it late.

The scoreline was the headline, but the speed of the turnaround was the real story in Villarreal vs Napoli. Napoli had the early control and lost it almost at once. Once Villarreal punished one mistake, the whole tone of the night changed.

The first-half swing that decided it

Napoli had the cleaner start and were rewarded when Rrahmani scored after eight minutes. At that stage, Villarreal looked as though they might spend the night chasing the game.

Instead, they turned it around inside three first-half minutes. Mikautadze's equaliser came after Matteo Politano played a poor back-pass that was intercepted and finished. It was the kind of error that changes a match because it removed Napoli's control and gave the stadium a lift.

Then came the winner, or at least the goal that became the winner. Europa Press and football-italia.net both report it as arriving before the break, while the timing around the decisive strike is not completely aligned across reports, with some references putting it in the 86th minute and others in the 87th. What is clear is that Mouriño had already put Villarreal ahead in the 26th minute, and that fast reversal was the decisive phase of the game.

That goal also continued a productive start to the European campaign for the defender. Mouriño now has 2 Champions League goals this season, an unusually strong return from the back line and a fair sign that he is becoming a genuine attacking threat in these matches.

Napoli's mistake and Villarreal's punishment

This was also a self-inflicted collapse from Napoli. Going 1-0 up away from home should have settled them. Politano's error pulled Villarreal back into the game, and after that Napoli never found another goal.

The individual numbers point the same way. Politano finished with a 5.9 rating, the weakest detail attached to Napoli's night, while Oluwaseyi's late goal capped the best Villarreal display by rating at 7.6. Those figures should not be treated as the whole analysis, but they fit the flow of the match.

Villarreal were not spectacular for 90 minutes. They were clinical in the period that mattered most. Mikautadze's goal was his first in the Champions League this season, and it arrived at the exact moment the game needed calming from the home side's point of view. From there, Napoli struggled to break them down after halftime before Oluwaseyi added the third in the 87th minute.

What the win changes for Villarreal

Beyond the comeback itself, this result carried some overdue relief. It was Villarreal's first win in the top continental competition this season and their first European victory in more than two years, since March 2024. After an early setback, that made the response feel far more important than a routine group-stage home win.

Iñigo Pérez will take most satisfaction from how direct the response was after going behind. Villarreal did not need a slow rebuild inside the match. They punished one loose pass, attacked the next phase aggressively and took the points.

The main fact left standing is simple: Villarreal were 1-0 down after eight minutes and still beat Napoli 3-1, with Mikautadze, Mouriño and Oluwaseyi scoring the goals at La Cerámica.

FAQ

Why was Villarreal's comeback against Napoli so important in the Champions League?

It gave Villarreal their first Champions League win of the 2026-27 campaign and their first European victory in more than two years, since March 2024. The 3-1 result also mattered because they had gone behind early and still managed to turn the game around before halftime.

How did Villarreal beat Napoli after going behind at La Cerámica?

Villarreal recovered from Amir Rrahmani's eighth-minute goal by punishing Napoli quickly. Georges Mikautadze equalised in the 23rd minute after intercepting Matteo Politano's poor back-pass, Santiago Mouriño put Villarreal ahead three minutes later, and Tani Oluwaseyi finished the game late.

Did Napoli lose control of the match against Villarreal after their early lead?

Yes, the match swung against Napoli after they went 1-0 up. Politano's back-pass error handed Villarreal the equaliser, and Napoli did not score again. After halftime they struggled to break Villarreal down before Oluwaseyi added the third goal late on.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →