The China Mail - De Bruyne strikes in Napoli's strong start to Scudetto defence at Sassuolo

The headline signing of the summer transfer window in Italy, De Bruyne opened his account for Napoli in the 57th minute when his free-kick swept in from the left flank and evaded everyone before nestling in the far corner.

De Bruyne made sure Napoli would get off to a winning start to the new season in Reggio Emilia after Scott McTominay continued where he left off from last season with a bullet header in the 17th minute.

McTominay was the star of Napoli's second Scudetto triumph in three years with 12 goals and again looked in fine form for Antonio Conte's team.

The Scotland midfielder was unlucky not to double his tally for the evening on the stroke of half-time when his rasping first-time effort crashed onto the crossbar.

Napoli have never retained a league title, not even when Diego Maradona strutted his stuff in southern Italy back in the 1980s, and their attempt to do so after the historic success of 2023 ended with a 10th-place finish.

However unlike Luciano Spalletti, whose exit straight after winning the league destabilised Napoli, Conte has decided to stay put and that has given fans hopes of another big season.

The current team will have to play the first few months of Napoli's bid for a fifth league crown without Romelu Lukaku.

De Bruyne's Belgium teammate could be out of action until the end of the year with a thigh muscle tear and his understudy Lorenzo Lucca struggled to get into the game on his Napoli debut.

Sassuolo romped to the Serie B title last term but were outclassed on their return to the top flight, and finished the match with 10 men after debutant Ismael Kone was sent off in the 79th minute for two bookable offences.

Later, Luka Modric will start AC Milan's first fixture of the campaign against promoted Cremonese as the veteran star begins a new chapter in northern Italy after 13 trophy-laden years at Real Madrid.

Roma face an old foe in their first official fixture under new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, with former Lazio striker Ciro Immobile making his Bologna debut.

C.Mak--ThChM