Sassuolo 0-2 Napoli: Raffaele Auriemma’s post-match analysis | OneFootball

While waiting to see how competitive Juventus (tonight) and Inter (tomorrow) are, Napoli has confirmed that nothing has changed compared to last season. In fact, there’s even more now.

De Bruyne-McTominay: How to Integrate in Just a Few Days

His name is Kevin De Bruyne, who delivered a champion’s performance against Sassuolo, fully at the service of the team and Antonio Conte’s tactics. The Belgian star alternates with McTominay in the role of second striker and as a “high” left winger. Then, when it’s necessary to escape the grip of the opponents, he drops deeper to play a double pivot with Lobotka.

And if there’s a need to score from a set piece, there he is, imagining a curveball that ends up in the net, leaving everyone stunned. In short, Lukaku isn’t there and will certainly be replaced during the week, but in the meantime, the reigning Italian champions have shown that they could immediately repeat their success. Even if it won’t be easy.

For two reasons. The first 10 matches for the team wearing the scudetto on their shirts usually benefit from the momentum generated by the championship won three months earlier. But this season will be filled with commitments that Napoli didn’t have to deal with a year ago, and the stress of playing (and traveling) every three days must be absorbed and managed in the best possible way. Then, by finding a central striker who can immediately become an integral part of the team and turn the chances created by the luxurious midfield into goals, even Lucca would have all the time needed to become a valuable asset.

Without falling into triumphalism, today no rival seems to be giving the impression of challenging this Napoli for the top spot—a Napoli with just one true protagonist: Don Antonio Conte.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.