Kevin De Bruyne struck on his Napoli debut on Saturday as the Serie A champions began their title defence with a comfortable 2-0 victory away at newly promoted Sassuolo.
The Belgian playmaker, Italy’s standout summer signing, opened his account in the 57th minute when his curling free-kick from the left bypassed everyone and nestled in the far corner.
De Bruyne ensured Napoli made a winning start in Reggio Emilia after Scott McTominay had powered in a trademark header in the 17th minute.
McTominay, who netted 12 times during last season’s Scudetto triumph, looked sharp once again under Antonio Conte. He came close to a second just before half-time, but his thunderous effort cannoned off the crossbar.
Napoli, who have never successfully defended a league title – not even during Diego Maradona’s era – are hoping Conte’s decision to stay on will provide stability after their 2023 collapse to 10th place under Luciano Spalletti’s abrupt departure.
They must, however, cope without Romelu Lukaku for the opening months of the campaign. The Belgian striker is sidelined until the end of the year with a thigh injury, while his replacement Lorenzo Lucca struggled to make an impact on debut.
Sassuolo, returning to Serie A after storming through Serie B, looked out of their depth and finished with ten men after Ismael Kone received two yellow cards on debut in the 79th minute.
Elsewhere, Luka Modric prepared to make his AC Milan bow against Cremonese, while Roma’s new coach Gian Piero Gasperini faced Bologna, featuring former Lazio striker Ciro Immobile.