Mctominay And De Bruyne Gel For New-look Napoli But Milan Let Down Modric | Nicky Bandini

The caller Serie A play was 17 minutes aged and already it had started to look for illustration nan erstwhile one: Matteo Politano crossing and Scott McTominay scoring, conscionable arsenic they did successful Napoli’s title-sealing triumph complete Cagliari 3 months ago. Even their positions were practically identical, nan Italian cutting successful from nan correct arsenic nan Scotsman attacked nan six-yard box.

McTominay’s decorativeness was little melodramatic this clip around, a header instead of a scissor-kick, but he dispatched it pinch adjacent conviction. Serie A’s Most Valuable Player successful 2024-25, scoring nan league’s first extremity of 2025-26. “Winning nan Scudetto changes nothing,” he had said successful 1 question and reply earlier this month. “We request to recapture and support that mentality we recovered past year.”

Talk astir surviving your values. McTominay led by furious example, covering crushed and menacing Sassuolo’s defence. After scoring, it was he who collapsed up nan Neroverdi’s attempted response, he who took nan adjacent changeable and he again who rattled nan crossbar pinch an effort from extracurricular nan box. McTominay later attempted to return nan favour for Politano pinch a debased centre, but his teammate’s changeable was deflected connected to a post.

This was expected to beryllium a time to marvel astatine Kevin De Bruyne’s Serie A debut. Napoli’s signing of nan Belgium international, and two-time Premier League subordinate of nan year, was this summer’s biggest transportation coup. Even successful pre-season, his beingness drew sellout crowds to sleepy towns for uncompetitive friendlies. De Bruyne confessed to uncovering it each “a spot weird”.

Perhaps McTominay has helped him to settle. The Naples-published newspaper Il Mattino reported them arsenic being “inseparable”. They surely look to person acquired an on-pitch understanding, rotating positions seamlessly connected Saturday successful a much liquid Napoli statement than nan ones we watched for astir of past season.

Notionally, this was a 4-1-4-1, pinch McTominay flanking De Bruyne connected nan left, Politano extracurricular Frank Anguissa connected nan correct and Stanislav Lobotka shielding nan defence. In practice, McTominay, De Bruyne and nan centre-forward Lorenzo Lucca swapped places regularly. The second dropped truthful acold astatine times that he coiled up successful places you mightiness expect to find a full-back.

Was this design, aliases was Lucca trying excessively difficult to show what he could do successful nan absence of an injured Romelu Lukaku? Who knows. What we tin opportunity is that De Bruyne played good and scored Napoli’s 2nd goal, albeit somewhat by accident.

His 57th-minute free-kick was swung into a vulnerable area from nan near touchline but sailed complete nan caput of nan 6ft 7ins Lucca. Sassuolo’s goalkeeper, Stefano Turati, hesitated, possibly anticipating a touch, allowing nan shot to hop past him into nan net.

Kevin De Bruyne leaps into nan aerial aft his free-kick doubles Napoli’s lead astatine Sassuolo. Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

De Bruyne mightiness person had an earlier assist, too, but Amir Rrahmani fired wide aft being sent done connected goal. If McTominay was still nan prima of Napoli’s show, nan caller Belgian formed personnel did radiance successful a supporting role.

The crippled ended 2-0, a assured commencement to nan Partenopei’s title defence. Sassuolo, Serie B champions past season, had lined up pinch a trio of proven goalscorers successful Domenico Berardi, Andrea Pinamonti and Armand Laurienté. None of them sewage a sniff.

Even successful post-game remarks, Napoli’s players were reference from nan aforesaid script. De Bruyne said he was adjusting to a “very different measurement of moving successful Italy” but insisted that “I request to accommodate to them, not them to me”. McTominay laughed disconnected nan proposal he mightiness person tips for his caller teammate, saying: “He doesn’t request immoderate advice. I request proposal from him!”

August is not a clip for sweeping conclusions. We do not moreover cognize what immoderate teams will look for illustration by nan clip nan transportation model shuts adjacent week. Napoli themselves are successful nan marketplace for different forward. Several managers expressed vexation complete nan play astatine starting nan play knowing their squads are not yet settled.

Still, location are amended and worse ways to begin. If De Bruyne sewage disconnected to a cleanable start, nan aforesaid could not beryllium said Luka Modric astatine Milan. Expectations were ever much humble for a subordinate who will observe his 40th day adjacent month, but nan erstwhile Ballon d’Or victor went consecutive into nan starting lineup for nan Rossoneri’s crippled astatine location to Cremonese.

His ain capacity was solid. For nan 74 minutes he was connected nan pitch, Modric had nan shot much than immoderate different player, doing his champion to behaviour an orchestra of out-of-tune instruments. Even nan sounds from nan stands were discordant astatine San Siro, ultra groups staying silent successful a protestation complete a ticketing conflict and allowing Cremonese’s visiting support to beryllium loudest.

Luka Modric was coagulated for a disjointed Milan. Photograph: Piero Cruciatti/AFP/Getty Images

Milan had plentifulness of shots but fewer clear chances. Their recently promoted opponents soaked up unit and struck decisively connected nan counter. Not contented pinch dominating Santiago Giménez successful defence, nan Cremonese centre-back Federico Baschirotto showed up astatine nan different extremity to caput successful an opening extremity successful nan 28th minute.

Something of a cult fig successful Italian football, celebrated for his bodybuilder physique and Arnold Schwarzenegger-inspired celebrations, Baschirotto stopped to airs arsenic he jogged backmost up nan pitch. He is accelerated acquiring a different reputation, arsenic nan man who helps smaller clubs to scope heights unknown.

Baschirotto joined this summertime from Lecce, whom he to stave disconnected relegation for 3 consecutive seasons – securing their longest enactment successful nan apical flight. Now he would assistance Cremonese – nan nine from whose academy he graduated a small much than a decade agone – toward their first ever opening-round win. In each their erstwhile 8 Serie A campaigns, making love backmost 96 years, they had ever begun pinch a defeat.

More astonishing than an eventual 2-1 scoreline was nan swagger. After Milan equalised done Strahinja Pavlovic, Cremonese responded pinch an outrageous winner. Baschirotto, inexplicably attacking nan hosts’ punishment area yet again, served a backheel walk to Giuseppe Pezzella, who crossed for Federico Bonazzoli to people pinch a magnificent scissor-kick.

“The first lucifer is ever complicated,” said Massimiliano Allegri afterward. This is not nan homecoming he had hoped for connected his return to managing nan Rossoneri, 14 years aft he led them to a Serie A title.

A contradicting verdict came from Bonazzoli. “As an Inter fan, a extremity against Milan counts double,” he quipped. The top joys successful shot are often nan simplest.