Di Lorenzo to Napoli legend Bruscolotti: at 75, I won't attack this dressing room
Our take Napoli's problem is the table, not the armband
Our Villarreal vs Napoli prediction is Napoli or a draw, most likely 1:1. Íñigo Pérez's Villarreal have lost seven Champions League games in a row, and an eighth would make them the first Spanish club to lose eight straight in the competition (Opta Analyst); Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli lost 0:1 to Arsenal on matchday 1 but keep clean sheets in half their games. This is analysis only, with no bet.
| Match | Villarreal vs Napoli |
|---|---|
| Competition | UEFA Champions League · League phase, matchday 2 |
| Kick-off | 13 OCT · 20:00 UK · 21:00 Villarreal |
| Venue | Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal |
| Our pick | Napoli or draw · 1.70 · analysis only |
| Our estimate | 55–58% |
| Predicted score | 1:1 |
| Main reason | We do not see a winner here. |
Villarreal 6 from 15. Napoli 7 from 15.
Villarreal without Buchanan; Napoli without Buongiorno and three more.
Our take Napoli's problem is the table, not the armband
Our take The numbers back Aguirre: Valencia lack finishers
Our take We said three minutes. Venezia make it a pattern
The models favour Villarreal; the human previews do not.
| Source | Pick | Versus us |
|---|---|---|
| Opta Analyst | Villarreal 44.3%, Napoli 31.2% | Other side |
| Kickoff.co.uk | Villarreal 47%, most likely score 1:1 | Other side |
| Sports Mole | 1:1 | Same side |
| CBS Sports | Five experts: 0:0, 0:0, 1:1, 0:1, 0:1 | Same side |
Villarreal create, Napoli control the middle.
Villarreal take 15.4 shots a game over their last ten and will have the ball, but Lobotka and De Bruyne should keep Napoli compact in midfield, and Villarreal concede in every game. 1:1 is our main score; 2:1 to Villarreal is the risk if Moleiro and Mikautadze finally turn their chances into goals. Napoli or draw wins with 1:1, 0:0, 0:1, 1:2 or 2:2 and loses with 2:1, 1:0 or 2:0.
Napoli or draw: why this pick wins
We do not see a winner here. Villarreal create plenty but have lost seven Champions League games in a row and have not kept a clean sheet in ten, so a Napoli goal is likely. Allegri's Napoli are careful, with five clean sheets in ten, and away in Europe should not open up. Our score is 1:1, and Napoli or draw holds with 1:1 and with 0:1.
What would change our mind An official Napoli line-up without McTominay, Anguissa and Lobotka in midfield: then 2:1 to Villarreal becomes our main score.
| Market | Odds | Break-even |
|---|---|---|
| Villarreal win | 2.12 | 47.2% |
| Draw | 3.62 | 27.6% |
| Napoli win | 3.19 | 31.3% |
| Napoli or draw | 1.70 | 58.8% |
| Villarreal or draw | 1.33 | 75.2% |
| Both teams to score | 1.53 | 65.4% |
| Both teams not to score | 2.38 | 42% |
| Over 2.5 goals | 1.62 | 61.7% |
| Under 2.5 goals | 2.30 | 43.5% |
Odds snapshot 13 OCT 07:15 · no bookmaker names
Why Villarreal could win it.
Our pick: Napoli or draw · analysis only. We expect 1:1, but the prices and the models favour Villarreal, so we are not sure enough of the result to bet on it.
Analysis only, no bet: this match doesn’t count towards ROI.
Our full analysis of the match and the result we expect, without a bet.
We start from the market, then check a statistical model, named previews and our own scenario test against everything that moves the result: lineups, rest, motivation, style and team news. We publish when at least three of the four agree and the pick wins in the main scorelines. A warning sign, such as a back-up goalie or tired legs, moves us to a safer market or leaves the match as analysis only.
No. The pick, odds and time are locked when published. Updates go into the log above.