Champions League line-ups: Villarreal vs. Napoli
SASSUOLO, ITALY - AUGUST 23: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli and teammate Scott McTominay pose for a photo at full-time following their victory in the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on August 23, 2025 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Scott McTominay gets his first start since heart surgery, joining Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund as Napoli visit Villarreal in the Champions League.
It kicks off at the Estadio de la Ceramica at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).
The Partenopei had a very tough opening Champions League fixture and capitulated 1-0 at home to Arsenal, which was their third consecutive defeat in all competition.
Things have improved since then for Max Allegri, scraping a win over Bologna, 1-1 draw at Fiorentina, and Saturday’s 3-0 victory against Frosinone.
McTominay made his comeback as a substitute a month on from surgery to correct a mild benign arrhythmia, and here gets his first start.
The absentee list remains extensive, as Napoli miss Frank Anguissa, Mathias Olivera, Antonio Vergara, Alisson Santos, Costantino Favasuli and Alessandro Buongiorno.
Giovane wasn’t in the Champions League squad list until this week, but has been drafted in and thrown straight into the starting XI for the new 3-4-2-1 formation with De Bruyne and Hojlund.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic steps in for Alex Meret in goal, while Giovanni Di Lorenzo shifts over to the left in order to make way for Matteo Politano.
Villarreal opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-2 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund and sit 11th in LaLiga table after a stuttering start to the season.
They lost 1-0 to Real Madrid at the weekend in a fiery encounter that saw Vinicius Junior sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair.
Nicolas Pepe and former Inter midfielder Tajon Buchanan are out injured, but goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi has withdrawn from the squad after he and his family were the victims of an armed robbery early this morning.
A statement from the club confirms they are unharmed, but naturally stunned by the home invasion only hours ago.
Ex-Juventus defender Renato Veiga features, with Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze pushing Ayoze Perez to the bench.
Villarreal: Luiz Junior; Mourino, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga, Carlos Romero; Santi Comesana, Pape Gueye, Saliba, Alberto Moleiro; Gerard Moreno, Mikautadze
Villarreal bench: Ruben Gomez, Logan Costa, Freeman, Alassane, Foyth, Akhomach, Carlos Macia, Oluwaseyi, Ayoze Perez, Sergi Cardona, El Jmili, Joselillo Gaitan
Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Rafa Marin, Rrahmani, Badiashile; Politano, Gilmour, McTominay, Di Lorenzo; Giovane, De Bruyne; Hojlund
Napoli bench: Meret, Contini, Neres, Lucca, Beukema, Spinazzola, Lobotka, Lang
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