Champions League: Villarreal-Napoli on the pitch at 9pm LIVE

Massimiliano Allegri's 'new' Napoli resume their journey in the Champions League, facing Villarreal with the need to start moving the table after the defeat in the debut match against Arsenal. "Playing here in Villareal - explains the coach - is always complicated and in particular in a Champions League match.

We need to put in an excellent performance and try to get the result because in any case we need to start scoring points, given that our goal is to get through the first round and still be in the competition in March." "The match - he adds - is very important and complicated because Villarreal is a team that had a difficult start but is now recovering, has won some matches and above all played a great match on Saturday against Real Madrid".

The point of reference is increasingly Kevin De Bruyne but Allegri makes it clear that Gilmour, Milinkovic-Savic and probably McTominay will play from the start, but does not reveal in which position he will play the Belgian. "For now - he says - De Bruyne and McTominay have not yet played together, however in that area of ​​the pitch we have Lobotka and Gilmour who are two important players. What matters however is to have everyone available to have as many solutions as possible both at the start of the match and during the match".

"Our strength - observes the coach - must be balance in a place like Naples where people have so much enthusiasm and passion. We need to be good at taking the passion and enthusiasm of the city and at the same time maintaining balance. After the match against Villarreal we will have to think about resuming our path in the championship too".

The situation of the injured is progressively improving. "It's important to get everyone back - explains Allegri - because it would allow me to try to guess the lineup in each match. We have players like Neres who was out for eight months, Badiashile seven, Giovane - included in the Champions League list in place of Favasuli who will be out for a long time - two months. Anguissa, Olivera and Allisson will return to the group on Wednesday, so having them all available is very important. But now we need to stay with our feet on the ground because in any case we have the Champions League to think about."

"Talking about formations - adds the coach - I don't like it because it's reductive talk for a football match, but maybe I have my own idea, my own thoughts".

Allegri doesn't talk about a three or four defense. But Aurelio De Laurentiis intervenes on this topic, speaking at the Golden Collar awards ceremony at CONI. "Let's hope - says the Napoli president - that things go well, I trust in our boys and I've never had doubts about Allegri. I've always been silent, never made judgements, also because what do you want to judge someone who has won so much. Finally he got back to three, evidently it's a scheme that gives him confidence and we were successful".