Napoli Defeats Sassuolo 2-0 As McTominay And De Bruyne Lead The Charge In Serie A Opener

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Napoli began their Serie A title defence with a 2-0 victory over Sassuolo, thanks to Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne. McTominay, last season's standout player, scored early with a header. De Bruyne, making his Serie A debut, added another goal from a free-kick in the second half.

De Bruyne wasted no time making an impact, attempting a shot just 26 seconds into the match. Napoli's dominance paid off in the 17th minute when Matteo Politano delivered a precise cross to McTominay, who headed it past Stefano Turati at the near post. McTominay nearly doubled his tally before halftime as Politano's deflected shot hit the post early in the second half.

De Bruyne marked his debut by becoming the oldest outfield player to debut for Napoli since 1994-95 at 34 years and 56 days. His performance was impressive, scoring from a free-kick that bypassed McTominay and nestled into the bottom-right corner in the 57th minute. This made him the third midfielder to score on his Serie A debut for Napoli in the three-points-per-win era.

Sassuolo's troubles worsened when Ismael Kone received a second yellow card for a foul on Lorenzo Lucca, leaving them with ten men. De Bruyne also had three shots and created three chances, sharing the most shots with McTominay and Politano.

McTominay was instrumental in regaining possession seven times and winning six fouls in midfield. He succeeded in eight of his 15 duels, only surpassed by Amir Rrahmani with ten successful duels. His contributions were crucial to Napoli's victory.

This win highlights Napoli's strong start to defending their title, showcasing both new talent and established players' skills. The team's performance sets a promising tone for their campaign ahead.