Napoli launched its Serie A season in style with a 2-0 win at Sassuolo on Saturday as Scott McTominay powered in a first-half header before Kevin De Bruyne curled home a free-kick after the break.
The reigning champion endured a less-than-ideal build-up to the new season, with striker Romelu Lukaku sidelined through injury and Lorenzo Lucca stepping in as the lone forward.
However, it was the midfield, led by De Bruyne, that seized control, with the Belgian creating an early chance inside the opening minute and dictating tempo for most of the match.
Fellow midfielder McTominay, last season’s league Most Valuable Player, wasted no time in making his mark, powering a header into the net from Matteo Politano’s curling cross after just 17 minutes to fire Napoli ahead.
“We told ourselves we’d start with this mindset, get the three points on a difficult pitch, and that’s what matters most,” McTominay told broadcaster DAZN after the match.
Sassuolo looked determined to prove itself back among Italian football’s elite, repeatedly testing the Napoli defence throughout the first half, but it was McTominay who came closest to adding a second for the visiting side when his effort rattled the bar just before the break.
Napoli dominated the second half, with Politano striking the post early on and Lucca unable to convert the rebound.
New signing De Bruyne doubled the advantage after 57 minutes, bending a free-kick from a tight angle over the crowded box and into the far bottom corner.
“It’s an honour to have De Bruyne in the team. I’m the one who has to learn from him, not the other way around,” McTominay said.
Sassuolo’s Serie A return took another downturn when Ismael Kone was shown a second yellow card just minutes from time for a foul on Lucca, leaving the host side to finish with 10 men.
AC Milan humbled by Cremonese
AC Milan endured the worst possible start to its Serie A campaign, slipping to a 1-2 home defeat against newly-promoted Cremonese on Saturday.
Despite controlling much of the match, Milan’s defensive frailties and costly errors allowed Cremonese to capitalise, securing just its second-ever Serie A victory at San Siro.
Santiago Gimenez believed he had opened Milan’s league account early in the match, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Instead, it was Cremonese which seized the chance to pressure a disorganised Milan, forcing goalkeeper Mike Maignan into a full-stretch save to deny Federico Bonazzoli.
The breakthrough came in the 28th minute as Milan’s defence switched off from a Cremonese corner, the clearance falling to Alessio Zerbin, who whipped it back into the box for an unmarked Federico Baschirotto to thunder a header past Maignan and put the visitors in front.
Milan finally struck back deep into first-half stoppage time, as Pervis Estupinan raced to the byline and lofted a clever chip over the Cremonese defence, leaving Strahinja Pavlovic free to head home the equaliser from close distance.
Roared on by a passionate home crowd, Milan opened the second half with a barrage of efforts on the Cremonese goal, only to be denied repeatedly by goalkeeper Emil Audero.
Just as Milan seemed to be taking control, Cremonese got a goal in the 61st minute when Giuseppe Pezzella lofted a high ball into the box for Bonazzoli, who silenced San Siro with a stunning overhead kick into the net to seal the win.
In the other late match, AS Roma began its campaign on a positive note, giving manager Gian Piero Gasperini a winning start with a 1-0 home victory over Bologna, sealed by Wesley Franca’s 53rd-minute strike.
Published on Aug 24, 2025
