De Bruyne scored a stunning goal on his Napoli Serie A debut.

24/08/2025 07:37:00 pandatv

In the early hours of August 24, Napoli kicked off their 2025-2026 Serie A title defense with a commanding 2-0 away win against Sassuolo.

The focal point of the match was the remarkable debut of new signing Kevin De Bruyne, who scored a spectacular free-kick goal that played a crucial role in the victory for the blue-clad team.

In the 57th minute, Napoli were awarded a free kick near the left touchline. De Bruyne stepped up with his usual confidence. His shot followed a tricky path, flying over the defensive wall, bouncing on the ground, and curling straight into the far corner of the goal, leaving goalkeeper Stefano Turati helpless. This goal not only secured the 2-0 final score but also marked a significant milestone on the former Manchester City star’s debut. According to Opta, at 34 years and 56 days old, De Bruyne became the oldest outfield player to make his starting debut for Napoli in Serie A since the 1994-1995 season.

De Bruyne and McTominay both found the net for Napoli.

Beyond scoring, De Bruyne demonstrated his quality with an 86% passing accuracy, completing 75% of his long passes and successfully delivering 12 passes in the attacking third. Flashscore gave him a 7.9 rating, the highest of the match. After a decade and 421 appearances at Man City, De Bruyne left Etihad on a free transfer and immediately showed his value in the new setting.

Alongside De Bruyne, Scott McTominay, last season’s Serie A best player, also left his mark by scoring the opening goal in the 17th minute. From a cross by Matteo Politano, the Scottish midfielder positioned himself cleverly and headed sharply to the near post, denying Sassuolo’s goalkeeper any chance. McTominay nearly scored a second when a long-range shot hit the crossbar in first-half stoppage time. With such impressive form, the former Man United player is poised to surpass his previous season’s tally of 12 goals.

Although Napoli secured all three points, their striker position showed vulnerabilities. Lorenzo Lucca, who replaced Romelu Lukaku, had a subdued performance. According to English media, Napoli is considering loaning Rasmus Hojlund from Man United with an option to buy to reinforce the attack.

After the match, McTominay praised De Bruyne: "He brings many qualities and has integrated as if he’s been here for five years. I’m the one who needs to learn from him." Meanwhile, De Bruyne modestly said: "I’m adapting to the new playing style. My teammates have helped me a lot, and I’m also trying to share my experience. Everything is progressing well, but we need to keep improving."

The victory over Sassuolo, despite the hosts playing with ten men from the 79th minute due to Ismaël Koné’s red card, was an ideal preparation for Napoli’s title defense journey. With the outstanding performances of De Bruyne and McTominay, Napoli fans have good reason to be optimistic about the season ahead. In other matches, AC Milan unexpectedly lost 1-2 to Cremonese, while Roma defeated Bologna 1-0.

Comment (0)