Antonio Conte praises Kevin De Bruyne’s seamless integration into Napoli ahead of their Serie A title defense against Sassuolo. De Bruyne’s arrival boosts Napoli’s attack, while Lukaku’s injury gives Lucca a chance to shine. Conte acknowledges the difficulty of winning consecutive titles, emphasizing the need for composure and hard work. Key players to watch include Sassuolo’s Lauriente and Napoli’s Lucca. Napoli is favored to win, given their strong defense and Conte’s impressive managerial record.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte has lauded Kevin De Bruyne for his swift adaptation to the Italian side, as they prepare to kick off their 2025-26 Serie A title defense. The reigning champions are set to face Sassuolo on Saturday, and De Bruyne is anticipated to make his debut in the Italian top flight.
De Bruyne, the Belgian maestro, made a high-profile free transfer to Naples in June after an illustrious decade with Manchester City. During his time with the English club, he established himself as one of Europe's premier playmakers. His arrival in Italy has raised expectations for Napoli's attacking prowess.
The 34-year-old De Bruyne's track record speaks volumes. He boasts an impressive 170 assists across all competitions during his tenure at Manchester City, surpassing even Lionel Messi, who recorded 147 assists in the same period. Conte is confident that De Bruyne's vision and passing range will significantly enhance Napoli's forward line.
Another potential debutant for Napoli is Lorenzo Lucca, who joined the club on loan from Udinese. Lucca's arrival has become all the more crucial following an injury to Romelu Lukaku during Napoli's pre-season match against Olympiacos.
Lucca demonstrated his scoring ability last season, netting 12 goals in Serie A. He could be Conte's go-to striker while Lukaku recovers. Conte acknowledges the importance of both new signings, but remains cautiously optimistic about Napoli's chances of retaining the Serie A title.
"He [De Bruyne] immediately understood the difference between Manchester City and Napoli," Conte told SportMediaset. "He’s been very humble, attentive and intelligent. He’s fit perfectly into this environment. If we’ve signed him [Lucca] it’s because we think he can help the team. We signed him to let him grow behind Lukaku, so we’ll see how long that takes and how much he can give us."
Conte is fully aware of the challenge that awaits Napoli in their quest for back-to-back titles. “I could be the first coach to win two league titles with Napoli means that nobody has ever managed to do it before, so this already makes us understand the difficulty of doing so,” he stated.
The manager stressed the importance of maintaining composure and a realistic outlook. “We have to stay calm, it’s a very, very difficult goal. We’ll see what happens this year. We’re pretty calm. We’ll fly low and let others do the talking. We have to speak in facts. In pre-season, everyone says they worked well. We have also worked hard, but now we have to bring all of that onto the pitch.”
Conte insists that the focus remains internal, rather than on their rivals. “I don’t care who the opponent is, the important thing is that others see Napoli as an opponent in the fight for the Scudetto.”
Another day, another session with Sassuolo looming https://t.co/ai1uIhXKgO
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) August 21, 2025
Players to Watch
Sassuolo – Armand Lauriente
Armand Lauriente is set to be a key figure for Sassuolo. His 18 goals led the team to the Serie B title last season. In addition to his goal-scoring exploits, Lauriente also contributed five assists, with five goals coming in the final seven games of the campaign.
Napoli – Lorenzo Lucca
With Lukaku sidelined, Lucca has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself. He has already scored 20 Serie A goals since the start of the 2023-24 season, the most of any player his age. He is also a threat in the air, with eight headed goals in that period, second only to Duvan Zapata (10).
Match Prediction – Napoli Win
Napoli's solid defense was a cornerstone of their Scudetto victory, as they conceded a league-low 27 goals. Conte's managerial record in Serie A is also impressive, boasting the best points-per-game average (2.24) in league history.
Sassuolo's journey to the Serie B title was marked by an impressive 78 goals, the most in the division. However, their expected goals (xG) of 54.8 suggests they may have overperformed.
Napoli has historically dominated their encounters with Sassuolo, remaining unbeaten in their last seven Serie A matches. Sassuolo's last league win against Napoli dates back to November 2020.
Opta Win Probability
Sassuolo – 17.9%
Draw – 23.4%
Napoli – 58.7%