Villarreal v Napoli background

Villarreal CF are looking to eliminate SSC Napoli from the UEFA Europa League round of 32 for a second time.

Previous meetings
• The sides have met on four occasions in UEFA competition, Napoli winning two games to Villarreal's one.

• Juan Carlos Garrido's Villarreal defeated Walter Mazzarri's Napoli in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League round of 32, drawing 0-0 in Naples then coming from behind to win 2-1 at home.

• With the same coaches in charge, Napoli got their revenge in the following season's UEFA Champions League group stage, beating the Yellow Submarine 2-0 home and away.

• Napoli's Marek Hamšík may be one to watch – he has scored in three of the clubs' four encounters.

• Napoli are the only Serie A side who have beaten Villarreal at El Madrigal. Villarreal's overall record in 16 meetings with Italian opposition is W6 D4 L6 (W6 D1 L1 at home – W0 D3 L5 in Italy).

• Napoli's ten games against Spanish clubs have ended W4 D3 L3 (W2 D3 L0 at home – W2 D0 L3 in Spain). Those results include a 5-1 win at Valencia CF in the 1992/93 UEFA Cup first round – one of their two biggest European away victories.

Form guide
• Villarreal are unbeaten in five European fixtures (W4 D1) and have won all three of their UEFA Europa League home matches this term.

• Napoli became only the sixth club in the history of the UEFA Europa League to make it through the group stage with maximum points, after FC Salzburg (2009/10 & 2013/14), FC Zenit (2010/11), RSC Anderlecht (2011/12), Tottenham Hotspur FC (2013/14) and FC Dinamo Moskva (2014/15).

• Napoli were also this season's group stage top scorers with 22 goals – an average of 3.67 per game. The Partenopei also conceded the fewest goals – three – along with FC Schalke 04 and eliminated PAOK FC.

• Villarreal defeated Salzburg in the 2014/15 round of 32 before bowing out to holders Sevilla FC in the last 16. Their best campaigns in the competition ended in the semi-finals, where they were twice eliminated by eventual winners – Valencia in 2003/04 and FC Porto in 2010/11.

• Napoli reached the semi-finals last term, losing to eventual runners-up FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. They won the competition in 1988/89, beating VfB Stuttgart 5-4 on aggregate.

Trivia and links
• The journey from Naples to Villarreal is around 1,200km.

• The second leg of this tie will be Napoli's 100th UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League game.

• Napoli's Pepe Reina played at Villarreal from 2002 to 2005 after leaving FC Barcelona. He is ninth in the all-time UEFA club competition appearance rankings with 145 outings to his name. The only goalkeeper to have played more games than him is fellow Spaniard Iker Casillas (163).

• Villarreal centre-back Víctor Ruíz spent the second half of the 2010/11 season with Napoli. He played alongside Napoli's José Callejón at RCD Espanyol (2009–11).

• Aside from Reina and Callejón, Napoli have two other Spanish players: David López and Raúl Albiol, while Henrique (FC Barcelona 2008–12, Real Racing Club 2009–11) and Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid CF 2007–13) also have extensive Spanish Liga experience.

• Villarreal boast Italian talent in the form of defender Daniele Bonera (Brescia Calcio 1999–2002, Parma FC 2002–06, AC Milan 2006–15). He and Napoli's Gabriel were team-mates at Milan.

• Villarreal forward Roberto Soldado played alongside Napoli defender Vlad Chiricheş at Tottenham Hotspur FC (2013–15).

The coaches
• Marcelino's career as a midfielder was ended early by injury. As a coach, he worked his way up the Spanish leagues, taking over at Villarreal in 2013 following spells at Real Zaragoza, Racing and Sevilla.

• Naples-born Maurizio Sarri replaced Rafael Benítez when the Spaniard left Napoli for Real Madrid at the end of last season. Having spent much of his career in the lower leagues, he led Empoli FC into Serie A in 2013/14 and kept them up comfortably last term.