Sassuolo vs Napoli, 2025-26 Italian Serie A
· Italian Serie A
79': Ismaël KonéDe Bruyne scores on Serie A debut as Napoli win opener
Kevin De Bruyne netted in his debut and Scott McTominay scored the opener as Napoli kicked off their Serie A title defence with a 2-0 win over Sassuolo.
Match Timeline
- 0': Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
- 0': First Half begins.
- 1': Attempt missed. Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
- 1': Foul by Josh Doig (Sassuolo).
- 1': Matteo Politano (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 4': Andrea Pinamonti (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 4': Foul by Amir Rrahmani (Napoli).
- 12': Corner, Napoli. Conceded by Tarik Muharemovic.
- 12': Attempt missed. Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a through ball following a corner.
- 14': Foul by Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli).
- 14': Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 15': Attempt blocked. Matteo Politano (Napoli) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Amir Rrahmani.
- 15': Handball by Frank Anguissa (Napoli).
- 16': Foul by Sebastian Walukiewicz (Sassuolo).
- 16': Scott McTominay (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 17': Goal! Sassuolo 0, Napoli 1. Scott McTominay (Napoli) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Matteo Politano with a cross.
- 18': Foul by Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli).
- 18': Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 20': Foul by Sebastian Walukiewicz (Sassuolo).
- 20': Scott McTominay (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 22': Attempt saved. Scott McTominay (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Stefano Turati (Sassuolo).
- 22': Andrea Pinamonti (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 22': Foul by Amir Rrahmani (Napoli).
- 24': Foul by Luca Lipani (Sassuolo).
- 24': Frank Anguissa (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 25': Delay in match (Napoli).
- 26': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 27': Armand Laurienté (Sassuolo) wins a free kick on the left wing.
- 27': Foul by Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli).
- 30': Foul by Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo).
- 30': Matteo Politano (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 30': Foul by Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli).
- 30': Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 31': Foul by Luca Lipani (Sassuolo).
- 31': Scott McTominay (Napoli) wins a free kick on the left wing.
- 39': Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 39': Foul by Mathías Olivera (Napoli).
- 40': Corner, Napoli. Conceded by Tarik Muharemovic.
- 41': Armand Laurienté (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 41': Foul by Matteo Politano (Napoli).
- 43': Attempt saved. Josh Doig (Sassuolo) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is saved in the bottom right corner by Alex Meret (Napoli). Assisted by Daniel Boloca.
- 44': Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) wins a free kick on the right wing.
- 44': Foul by Armand Laurienté (Sassuolo).
- 45': Andrea Pinamonti (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 45': Foul by Juan Jesus (Napoli).
- 45': Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time.
- 45'+1': Scott McTominay (Napoli) hits the bar with a right footed shot from outside the box.
- 45'+2': First Half ends, Sassuolo 0, Napoli 1.
- 45': Second Half begins Sassuolo 0, Napoli 1.
- 46': Foul by Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli).
- 46': Josh Doig (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 46': Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
- 47': Foul by Mathías Olivera (Napoli).
- 47': Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 49': Foul by Luca Lipani (Sassuolo).
- 49': Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 50': Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
- 53': Attempt missed. Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
- 55': Attempt blocked. Matteo Politano (Napoli) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Scott McTominay.
- 55': Attempt saved. Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the bottom right corner by Stefano Turati (Sassuolo).
- 56': Foul by Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo).
- 56': Scott McTominay (Napoli) wins a free kick on the left wing.
- 56': Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
- 57': Goal! Sassuolo 0, Napoli 2. Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
- 58': Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 58': Foul by Mathías Olivera (Napoli).
- 60': Attempt blocked. Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
- 63': Foul by Luca Lipani (Sassuolo).
- 63': Scott McTominay (Napoli) wins a free kick on the left wing.
- 64': Attempt blocked. Matteo Politano (Napoli) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
- 65': Attempt saved. Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Alex Meret (Napoli). Assisted by Luca Lipani.
- 65': Foul by Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo).
- 65': Mathías Olivera (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 67': Foul by Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo).
- 67': Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 67': Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
- 68': Foul by Luca Lipani (Sassuolo).
- 68': Scott McTominay (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 69': Daniel Boloca (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 69': Foul by Frank Anguissa (Napoli).
- 70': Delay in match (Napoli).
- 71': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 72': Attempt missed. Daniel Boloca (Sassuolo) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Andrea Pinamonti.
- 73': Substitution, Sassuolo. Alieu Fadera replaces Luca Lipani.
- 73': Delay in match because of an injury Armand Laurienté (Sassuolo).
- 74': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 75': Alieu Fadera (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 75': Foul by Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli).
- 76': Substitution, Napoli. David Neres replaces Matteo Politano.
- 76': Foul by David Neres (Napoli).
- 76': Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 77': Foul by Alieu Fadera (Sassuolo).
- 77': Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 79': Foul by Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo).
- 79': Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 79': Second yellow card to Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo) for a bad foul.
- 81': Substitution, Sassuolo. Andrea Ghion replaces Armand Laurienté.
- 81': Substitution, Sassuolo. Fali Candé replaces Josh Doig.
- 82': Substitution, Napoli. Billy Gilmour replaces Stanislav Lobotka.
- 82': Substitution, Napoli. Noa Lang replaces Lorenzo Lucca.
- 84': Attempt blocked. Alieu Fadera (Sassuolo) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andrea Pinamonti.
- 84': Corner, Sassuolo. Conceded by Amir Rrahmani.
- 84': Alex Meret (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 84': Foul by Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo).
- 86': Foul by Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo).
- 86': Frank Anguissa (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 88': Attempt missed. Andrea Pinamonti (Sassuolo) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Fali Candé with a headed pass following a fast break.
- 88': Delay in match because of an injury David Neres (Napoli).
- 88': Delay in match because of an injury Fali Candé (Sassuolo).
- 89': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 89': Substitution, Napoli. Leonardo Spinazzola replaces Mathías Olivera.
- 89': Substitution, Napoli. Antonio Vergara replaces Scott McTominay.
- 90': Substitution, Sassuolo. Luca Moro replaces Andrea Pinamonti.
- 90': Substitution, Sassuolo. Nicholas Pierini replaces Domenico Berardi.
- 90'+1': Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
- 90'+2': Attempt missed. Frank Anguissa (Napoli) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Leonardo Spinazzola.
- 90'+4': Attempt missed. Daniel Boloca (Sassuolo) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Nicholas Pierini following a fast break.
- 90'+5': Alieu Fadera (Sassuolo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 90'+5': Foul by David Neres (Napoli).
- 90'+5': Second Half ends, Sassuolo 0, Napoli 2.
- 0': Match ends, Sassuolo 0, Napoli 2.
Statistics
 NAP |
SAS |
|
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Fouls | 17 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Offsides | 0 |
| 2 | Corner Kicks | 1 |
| 2 | Saves | 2 |
| 62.2 | Possession | 37.8 |
| 13 | SHOTS | 7 |
| 4 | ON GOAL | 2 |
| 0.3 | On Target % | 0.3 |
| 0 | Penalty Goals | 0 |
| 0 | Penalty Kicks Taken | 0 |
| 545 | Accurate Passes | 311 |
| 606 | Passes | 368 |
| 0.9 | Pass Completion % | 0.8 |
| 2 | Accurate Crosses | 0 |
| 10 | Crosses | 4 |
| 0.2 | Cross % | 0.0 |
| 32 | Long Balls | 39 |
| 17 | Accurate Long Balls | 12 |
| 0.5 | Long Balls % | 0.3 |
| 5 | Blocked Shots | 1 |
| 9 | Effective Tackles | 13 |
| 14 | Tackles | 16 |
| 0.6 | Tackle % | 0.8 |
| 5 | Interceptions | 12 |
| 10 | Effective Clearances | 14 |
| 10 | Clearances | 14 |
Game Information
Competition: Italian Serie A
Venue: MAPEI Stadium - Città del Tricolore
Location: Reggio Emilia, Italy
Attendance: 19,106
Venue: MAPEI Stadium - Città del Tricolore
Location: Reggio Emilia, Italy
Attendance: 19,106
Serie A Table
| # | TEAM | GP | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internazionale | 11 | +14 | 24 |
| 2 | AS Roma | 11 | +7 | 24 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 11 | +8 | 22 |
| 4 | Napoli | 11 | +6 | 22 |
Line-Ups
Sassuolo (4-3-3)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 13 | Stefano Turati (GK) |
| 80 | Tarik Muharemovic |
| 19 | Filippo Romagna |
| 3 | Josh Doig |
| 6 | Sebastian Walukiewicz |
| 35 | Luca Lipani |
| 11 | Daniel Boloca |
| 90 | Ismaël Koné  |
| 99 | Andrea Pinamonti |
| 45 | Armand Laurienté |
| 10 | Domenico Berardi |
Napoli (4-1-4-1)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Meret (GK) |
| 5 | Juan Jesus |
| 13 | Amir Rrahmani |
| 68 | Stanislav Lobotka |
| 17 | Mathías Olivera |
| 22 | Giovanni Di Lorenzo |
| 11 | Kevin De Bruyne |
| 99 | Frank Anguissa |
| 8 | Scott McTominay |
| 21 | Matteo Politano |
| 27 | Lorenzo Lucca |
Serie A News
When does the January transfer window open and close?
Find out when the 2025 winter transfer window will close in the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool eye move for Inter's Bastoni
Liverpool are looking at a possible move for Inter's Alessandro Bastoni. Transfer Talk has the latest news and rumors.
Nigeria recall goalkeeper Maduka Okoye for World Cup playoffs in wake of betting ban
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been recalled to the Nigeria squad ahead of this week's CAF 2026 FIFA World Cup Play-off Tournament in Morocco after serving a two-month suspension for his part in an illegal betting scheme.
Nigeria striker Ademola Lookman and Atalanta's once-happy marriage seems beyond repair
Nigeria frontman Ademola Lookman was part of Italian side Atalanta's brightest purple patches in recent years, but now, despite the departure of short-lived manager Ivan Juric, the Super Eagles man and his club need a mediator.
Inter Milan beat Lazio to go top of Serie A
Inter Milan beat Lazio 2-0 at the San Siro to go top of Serie A.