A Denis Suarez proved the difference as Napoli fell 1-0 at Villarreal, their first Europa League defeat of the season.
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A Denis Suarez proved the difference as Napoli fell 1-0 at Villarreal, their first Europa League defeat of the season.
Follow all the action from this game, Fiorentina-Tottenham and Galatasaray-Lazio on our LIVEBLOG.
The Partenopei had a perfect record in the Europa League group phase, scoring 22 goals and conceding just three during those six victories. Villarreal had won four of their last five, drawing the other, but missed Eric Bailly, Samu and suspended Javier Jimenez. Gonzalo Higuain and Lorenzo Insigne were rested, while Jorginho had flu.
Pepe Reina cleared straight to Bruno Soriano after five minutes, but made up for the howler with a desperate save on the captain’s shot.
Marek Hamsik had a snapshot from distance and Manolo Gabbiadini drilled wide, while the ex-Sampdoria striker just failed to get on the end of a Mertens cross.
Bad news for Villarreal, as Jonathan Dos Santos suddenly pulled up clutching his hamstring and it’s safe to assume he’ll be out of the second leg too.
After the restart Soldado just failed to get the decisive touch to a Baptistao ball that flashed across the face of goal and Ivan Strinic intercepted a Denis Suarez pull-back, but Jose Callejon wasted a couple of promising opportunities at the back post, including one angled drive that flashed viciously across the face of goal.
Gabbiadini hit one of his trademark scorchers, forcing Alphonse Areola into a tricky save and there were penalty appeals for a cross charged down by the underside of an arm, then Villarreal countered and substitute Cedric Bakambu blasted over from an excellent position.
The game suddenly opened up with end to end attacks, as Mertens and Soldado fired off target, Reina smothered a Denis Suarez solo effort.
Villarreal eventually broke the deadlock with a splendid Suarez free kick, which curled over the wall and into the near top corner despite Reina getting fingertips to it. This was only the fourth goal Napoli had conceded in seven Europa League games.
Lorenzo Insigne turned a free kick just over from a similar position, but the Partenopei suffered their first European defeat under Maurizio Sarri.
Villarreal 1-0 Napoli
Scorers: Suarez 82 (V)
Villarreal: Areola; Mario Gaspar, Musacchio, Victor Ruiz, Jaume Costa; Dos Santos, Trigueros (Pina 74), Bruno Soriano, Suarez; Baptistao (Bakambu 61), Soldado
Napoli: Reina; Hysaj, Chiriches, Koulibaly, Strinic; David Lopez (Allan 83), Valdifiori, Hamsik; Callejon (Insigne 73), Gabbiadini (Higuain 67), Mertens
Ref: Nijhuis (NED)