Napoli begins Serie A title defence with a win

August 23, 2025 / 11:24 PM

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Napoli kicked off their Serie A campaign with a confident 2-0 victory over newly promoted Sassuolo on Saturday, marking a strong start to their title defence.

Goals from McTominay and De Bruyne seal the win

Scott McTominay opened the scoring in the 17th minute, followed by a second-half strike from Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne in the 57th minute. The goals ensured Napoli took all three points in their first league match of the season.

Sassuolo returns to the top flight

After a year in the lower division, Sassuolo returned to Serie A and showed promising signs during pre-season, recording three wins and two draws in five friendlies. Despite their preparation, they couldn’t break through Napoli’s solid performance.

Historical edge to Napoli

This was the 24th meeting between the two teams since 2013. Napoli has consistently dominated the fixture, including a resounding 6-1 win in their previous encounter.

First managerial clash between Conte and Grosso

The match also marked the first managerial showdown between Napoli’s 56-year-old coach Anthony Conte and Sassuolo’s Fabio Grosso, the 47-year-old 2006 World Cup champion.