Overview

• Rasmus Hojlund finished a De Bruyne counterattack for the opener and headed the late winner from an in-swinging cross, with Sporting’s leveller coming from a Luis Suarez penalty.
• De Bruyne left Manchester City on a free in the summer, took Napoli’s No. 10 shirt, and has three Serie A goals plus two Champions League assists this season.
• After the win, De Bruyne compared Hojlund to Erling Haaland, noting both thrive by attacking space.
• The recent substitution flashpoint with Conte has been publicly downplayed by both, and the coach emphasized team-first decisions after the match.
• The result follows Napoli’s opening loss at Manchester City and lifts De Bruyne’s Champions League assist tally to 27, with Genoa up next on Sunday before a trip to PSV later this month.