Europa League preview and odds: Napoli vs Villarreal

Published on: 23/02/2016

Europa League preview and odds: Napoli vs Villarreal

February 25, 2016 20:05pm - Stadio San Paolo

Europa League - Round of 32, Second leg

Napoli will be hoping that home advantage will help them to overturn a 1-0 deficit to Villarreal in the second leg of this finely-poised Round of 32 clash.

Napoli strong at home

Napoli will be banking on their strong home form to carry them through against one of the competitions trickiest teams on Thursday night. They have lost just one of their last 18 games at home in all competitions.

After six straight wins in this year`s tournament, the team from Naples were finally defeated by a single goal in Spain last week. It was only the fourth goal that the Italian team have conceded in the Europa League this term.

Sarri`s men have scored five goals in each of their last three home matches in the competition.

Villarreal defending slender lead

Villarreal continued their good record on home soil against Italian opposition with a 1-0 win over Napoli in the first leg. The Spanish side have now lost just one of their nine home games against teams from Serie A.

The Yellow submarine followed up that win with an impressive draw away to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday night - a result that keeps them in fourth place in the domestic campaign. The last time that the Spaniards visited Naples (2011) they held their hosts to a 0-0 draw. A repeat of that score-line would be enough to see them through.

Team news

Alberto Grassi has had a knee operation and will be missing for the home side.

Meanwhile, the visitors will be without the injured pair of Dos Santos and Samu.

Recent form (All competitions)

Napoli: DLLWW

Villarreal: DWWDW

Betting odds and tips

Villarreal are not quite so strong on the road, having won just two of their last 10 away games, while the Italians have lost just one of their last 18 matches at home in all competitions.

The Home Win to Nil looks like a good bet at 7/4 with Bet365.

By Neil Morris

Published on: 23/02/2016

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (23/02/2016 17:30:38) but are subject to change.