Napoli began their campaign with a composed 2–0 victory over Sassuolo, with Scott McTominay heading the opener before Kevin De Bruyne doubled the lead from a free-kick. Sassuolo struggled to create clear chances, while Napoli controlled the tempo after an explosive start. Israel Schmidt de Azevedo explores the key tactical themes from the match.
The match between Sassuolo and Napoli began with Napoli immediately trying to impose themselves. From the very kick-off, they launched into attack, and within the first minute, Kevin De Bruyne found himself with a golden opportunity after a deflected cross. However, his shot went off target as he failed to strike the ball cleanly.
Keeping up the tempo, Napoli created another great chance around the 12th minute following a corner kick. Sassuolo’s goalkeeper managed to get a touch, but the loose ball fell to De Bruyne, who delivered an excellent pass to Rrahmani. From close range, though, Rrahmani completely missed the target.
In the 17th minute, Politano sent in a cross that found McTominay unmarked near the goal area. He headed the ball home with ease, punishing Sassuolo’s lack of defensive concentration.
What had seemed like a controlled match almost turned on its head after a risky back pass to Napoli’s goalkeeper. Waiting too long under pressure from a Sassuolo attacker, his clearance deflected off the opponent, but fortunately for Napoli it only went out for a throw-in.
In first-half stoppage time, Napoli executed a well-worked counterattack. The ball deflected into McTominay’s path outside the box, and his powerful strike rattled the crossbar.
The first half showed a Napoli side playing with a similar formation to Sassuolo but with a completely different approach. Their defensive midfielder dropped deep, giving the other four midfielders freedom to press alongside the centre-forward and create attacking chances. Sassuolo, by contrast, kept three midfielders back to help their defence, with both wingers dropping into a five-man midfield line.
Napoli dominated the first period, playing attractive football. After their fast-paced start, they controlled possession and dictated the rhythm. A brief lapse in concentration allowed Sassuolo some openings, which is normal in matches of this nature.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the 53rd minute, Anguissa lost possession carelessly, gifting Berardi the chance to unleash a powerful diagonal strike that almost punished Napoli’s mistake.
Two minutes later, a low cross reached Politano, whose shot took a deflection and struck the post, leaving the Sassuolo goalkeeper beaten.
In the 57th minute, Napoli won a free kick near the corner of the box. De Bruyne struck the ball with pace and dip, the type of delivery that is always dangerous if deflected. Without any deflection, though, the ball flew past Sassuolo’s goalkeeper, whose reaction was hindered. De Bruyne made it 2–0 for Napoli.
Defensively, Napoli adapted by tucking their full-backs in close to the centre-backs, pushing their wingers into full-back roles, and shaping the midfield into a diamond with three defensive midfielders behind an attacking midfielder.
In the 79th minute, Koné picked up a second yellow card and was sent off, making Sassuolo’s task even harder in their first official match of the season. From that point, Napoli comfortably controlled the game.
In stoppage time, Anguissa had a great chance to extend the lead but, despite having time and space, fired over the bar. Sassuolo then created one last opportunity in the 94th minute, when Fadera drove to the byline and crossed to Pierini, who failed to control the ball. Bocola picked it up just outside the box, but his shot flew high over the goal.
The match ended 2–0 in Napoli’s favour. It was a strong performance, showing improvement from their recent friendly, with De Bruyne and McTominay at the heart of Napoli’s attacking play.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Israel Schmidt de Azevedo
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