Kevin De Bruyne wasted no time making his mark in Italy, scoring on his debut as Napoli opened their Serie A title defence with a confident 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Sassuolo on Saturday.
The Belgian midfielder, hailed as the biggest signing of the Italian transfer window, struck in the 57th minute when his curling free-kick from the left flew untouched into the far corner. His goal sealed the win after Scott McTominay had powered the champions ahead in the 17th minute with a trademark header.
McTominay, who played a starring role in Napoli’s second Scudetto in three years last season, continued his fine form under coach Antonio Conte, even rattling the crossbar with a thunderous effort before half-time.
The victory provided the perfect start for Conte’s side as they look to achieve what even Diego Maradona couldn’t manage in the 1980s—defending a league crown. Napoli’s last attempt to retain the title ended in disappointment, finishing 10th after Luciano Spalletti’s shock exit. But with Conte staying put, optimism is high in Naples.
Napoli will, however, have to cope without Romelu Lukaku for the opening months of the season, with the striker sidelined by a thigh injury until the end of the year. His replacement, Lorenzo Lucca, endured a quiet debut in Reggio Emilia.
Sassuolo, last season’s Serie B champions, struggled on their return to the top flight and finished with 10 men after debutant Ismael Kone was dismissed in the 79th minute.
Elsewhere, AC Milan are set to begin their campaign later today with Luka Modric making his first appearance in Serie A against Cremonese, while Roma kick off under Gian Piero Gasperini against Bologna, featuring ex-Lazio striker Ciro Immobile.
