Rasmus Hojlund and Sam Beukema made impressive starts for Napoli, each scoring in their debut as the team secured a 3-1 victory over Fiorentina.
This win propelled Napoli to the top of Serie A. Kevin De Bruyne also found the net, adding to Napoli’s confidence ahead of their Champions League opener against Manchester City next Thursday.
Napoli’s match began with David de Gea making an early save from Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s powerful shot. Shortly after, Hojlund had a chance cleared off the line. In the third minute, Frank Anguissa was fouled by Pietro Comuzzo, leading to a penalty after a VAR review. De Bruyne converted it, sending De Gea the wrong way.
Hojlund extended Napoli’s lead with a precise finish off the right post. Ten minutes later, De Bruyne nearly scored again, but Moise Kean missed a close-range header for Fiorentina. Six minutes into the second half, Beukema capitalised on Matteo Politano’s corner to make it 3-0 for Napoli.
Luca Ranieri managed to score a consolation goal for Fiorentina 11 minutes before full-time. Despite this, Napoli comfortably secured their third consecutive win of the season. The team has started the 2025-26 season strongly, reminiscent of their form in 2021-22 when they also won their first three matches.
The victory marked an important milestone for coach Antonio Conte, who reached 550 points in just 244 Serie A matches. This achievement is notable as he reached this point total faster than any other coach since the introduction of three points for a win in 1994-95.
Napoli’s performance at Stadio Artemio Franchi was solid, aligning closely with their expected goals (xG) of 3.18. Fiorentina generated an xG of 1.68 from 19 attempts but struggled to convert these opportunities into goals.
Hojlund’s goal was significant as it came 832 days after his last Serie A goal for Atalanta. The on-loan forward aims to fill Romelu Lukaku’s absence due to injury at the top of Napoli’s attack.
This victory underscores Napoli’s strong start to the season and sets a positive tone as they prepare for upcoming challenges both domestically and in Europe.