Manchester City[1] legend Kevin De Bruyne[2] impressed in the Champions League[3] on Wednesday evening as he picked up a stunning assist for a notable name for Napoli against Sporting Lisbon.
De Bruyne was looking to bounce back from a nightmare first match in Europe with his new side in what was his first match since a clash with manager Antonio Conte[4] at the weekend.
The midfielder scored from the penalty spot on the hour mark for his side against AC Milan[5], but was then withdrawn as part of a triple change[6] by Conte as Napoli chased an equaliser in the 2-1 defeat.
After making his way off the pitch, De Bruyne appeared to motion in the direction of Conte as he expressed his frustration on his way to the bench.
Conte was asked about De Bruyne’s reaction in his post-match press conference, with the former Chelsea[7] and Tottenham[8] boss offering a blunt response to the Belgian as he explained his substitutions.
Speaking after the victory over Sporting, De Bruyne insisted he had ‘no issues or problems with Antonio Conte, at all’.
Kevin De Bruyne bounced back from his feud with manager Antonio Conte with a fine assist for Rasmus Hojlund on Wednesday, before adding another in the second half
De Bruyne was frustrated after being substituted in Napoli’s loss by AC Milan at the weekend
‘I’m a winner and I want to make the difference on the pitch, but there are zero problems with the coach,’ De Bruyne added.
It was back to normal on Wednesday with one of the best playmakers of the modern era setting up the opening goal in Italy – for Rasmus Hojlund[9]‘s first Champions League goal for Napoli – before doing the exact same in the second half too.
De Bruyne, 34, skipped past a couple of midfield challenges before playing a classic through ball through to the former Manchester United man to run through on goal.
Hojlund looked full of confidence, and fired low past Rui Silva before wheeling away in celebration.
The two former Manchester-based stars then embraced as Hojlund thanked his mate for the assist. Then, in the 79th minute, Hojlund was on the end of a De Bruyne cross and headed his side back ahead after Sporting had equalised.
‘I thanked him,’ said Hojlund. ‘Kevin is a legend of this sport and when he has the ball, I know that with his quality he will always put it perfectly for me.’
Hojlund, 22 – who cost United £72million two years ago – was essentially forced out of United in the summer after being told he was not part of Ruben Amorim’s plans, and joined Napoli on loan despite revealing his desire to stay with the Red Devils.
Since joining, he has scored three goals in five games, having also netted in Serie A.
De Bruyne spent 10 years at Man City, while Hojlund recently departed rivals Man United
De Bruyne has been substituted in four of his six matches for Napoli since joining the club on a free transfer in the summer.
The most notable occasion came in the Champions League on his much anticipated return to his former club Man City.
De Bruyne was withdrawn in the 26th minute after Napoli were reduced to 10-men, marking a disappointing return to the Etihad where he had proved a pivotal figure for Man City in a decade at the club.
Conte had been sympathetic to De Bruyne on that occasion having taken him off as part of a tactical adjustment following the red card.
But the Italian did not hold back after the Milan saga, issuing a warning to his star man.
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‘I hope De Bruyne was upset about the substitution because of the result, because otherwise he’s got the wrong guy,’ Conte said, as per Gazzetta Dello Sport.
‘I tried to bring in fresh players for one-on-one situations, given that Milan were closing down a lot. I replaced Hojlund with Lucca.
‘There’s not much to say, I think the substitutions were the right ones.’
It was happy families after the game, though, with Napoli winning 2-1 to earn their first three points of the Champions League season.
Hojlund said of his new team-mate: ‘I thanked him. Kevin is a legend of this sport and when he has the ball, I know that with his quality he will always put it perfectly for me.’
References
- ^ Manchester City (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Kevin De Bruyne (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Champions League (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ a clash with manager Antonio Conte (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ AC Milan (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ withdrawn as part of a triple change (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Chelsea (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Tottenham (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Rasmus Hojlund (www.dailymail.co.uk)