Napoli’s manager, Antonio Conte, has expressed admiration for Kevin De Bruyne’s swift adjustment to the team as they gear up for their Serie A opener against Sassuolo.
The reigning champions will kick off their title defence away from home, with De Bruyne expected to make his debut. The Belgian midfielder joined Napoli on a free transfer in June after a decade at Manchester City.
De Bruyne was a standout signing for Napoli this summer. During his time at City, he led Europe’s top five leagues in assists, recording 170 assists compared to Lionel Messi’s 147. His presence is anticipated to enhance Napoli’s attacking prowess this season. Another new face likely to debut is Lorenzo Lucca, who arrived from Udinese on loan. Lucca netted 12 goals last season and might step in for Romelu Lukaku, who is sidelined due to injury.
Conte remains cautious about Napoli’s chances of retaining the Scudetto despite these additions. “I could be the first coach to win two league titles with Napoli means that nobody has ever managed to do it before, so this already makes us understand the difficulty of doing so,” Conte stated. He emphasised the importance of staying grounded and focusing on performance rather than predictions.
Sassuolo’s Armand Lauriente was instrumental in their Serie B triumph last season, scoring 18 goals and providing five assists. His contributions were crucial in securing their return to Serie A. For Napoli, Lucca will be under the spotlight as he fills in for Lukaku. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Lucca has scored 20 Serie A goals, making him the youngest player to reach this milestone recently.
Napoli’s defence played a pivotal role in their success last season, conceding only 27 goals-the fewest in the league. Conte boasts an impressive points-per-game average of 2.24 in Serie A history when all wins are counted as three points since 1929-30. Meanwhile, Sassuolo secured 25 victories en route to their second division title last year, scoring 78 goals despite having an expected goals (xG) of just 54.8.
Match Prediction and Statistics
Napoli have dominated recent encounters with Sassuolo, remaining unbeaten in their last seven Serie A meetings. Sassuolo seeks its first league victory over Napoli since November 2020. According to Opta’s win probability model, Napoli holds a significant advantage with a 58.7% chance of winning compared to Sassuolo’s 17.9%, while a draw stands at 23.4%.
Conte highlighted De Bruyne’s adaptability: “He [De Bruyne] immediately understood the difference between Manchester City and Napoli,” Conte told SportMediaset. “He’s been very humble, attentive and intelligent.” This adaptability is expected to benefit Napoli as they aim for another successful campaign.
Napoli aims to translate their pre-season efforts into competitive success on the pitch this year. As Conte noted: “We have also worked hard, but now we have to bring all of that onto the pitch.” With key players like De Bruyne and Lucca stepping up, they hope to continue their strong form against Sassuolo and beyond.