It seemed that Napoli were rubbing their hands with their pairing with Granada in the round of 32 of the Europa League. But not everyone has taken it festively. In the Nasrid team is Roberto Soldado, who and has lived the experience of eliminating the powerful team from southern Italy in this continental competition, and in the same elimination section.
It was in the 2015-16 season. The first leg was played in El Madrigal on 2-18-2016 and the return match a week later, that is, on February 25 at the then San Paolo, from now on Diego Armando Maradona. They are the same dates of the next Granada-Naples, but with five days of difference. In this tie there will be a footballer whose name does not bring good memories among passionate Napoli fans: Roberto Soldado.
That Villarreal Coached by Marcelino García Toral then had very good players such as Areola, Mario Musacchio, Víctor Ruiz, Trigueros, Bruno, Denis Suárez and an interesting forward: Leo Baptistao and Soldado. Nor was Maurizio Sarri's Napoli bad with Pepe Reina, Callejón, David Lopez, Mertens or Hamisk. In a very intense, not very bright and even game, Villarreal scored an interesting goal, obtained by Denis Suárez. Soldado played the 90 minutes at a sensational level. The yellows went with a 1-0 income to Neapolitan lands. Soldier, by the way, was able to score, but Pepe Reina made the required stop.
The return was a suffering. Hamisk leveled the tie in the 17th minute and a lucky goal from Tomás Pina brought joy and qualification for the second round. And there was Soldier forming an attack with Bakambu and creating many problems for Pepe Reina.
Five years later, today's Granada forward hopes that history will repeat itself. The Valencian, by the way, ends his contract on June 30, 2021. If he looks strong it would not be surprising that he stays a little longer. In Naples they also remember that Maxime Gonalons was about to come in 2014. But he refused to leave Lyon. Life things.