Kevin De Bruyne will return to Manchester City on Thursday with Napoli, who enter the Champions League full of confidence after a flawless start to the Serie A season.
De Bruyne returns to the Etihad Stadium after scoring twice in his first three Napoli games and playing a key role in the Italian champions’ effort to establish themselves in Europe’s best club tournament after winning their fourth league title last season.
At 34 years old and having recovered from a series of hamstring injuries, De Bruyne appears to be in good shape for what will certainly be an emotional return to City, where he won six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.
Antonio Conte has had to rearrange the deck to accommodate one of the best players of this century, giving De Bruyne a creative midfield role that the former Italy coach believes would not negatively damage last season’s star player, Scott McTominay.
Napoli blitzed Fiorentina in the early parts of Saturday’s 3-1 victory in Florence, with former Manchester United player McTominay seemingly pushed out to the left but free to attack as De Bruyne, who scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, posed a constant danger with his passing range.
“The role that we’re creating for Kevin is perfect for him because he loves having the ball at his feet,” Conte said after Saturday’s 3-1 win at Fiorentina.
“He’s a bit of a genius. We’re trying to give him a new role that helps him give us what he’s capable of giving us. He’s got such great quality; he sees situations that others rarely see.”
Mbappe brace seals Real Madrid win over Marseille despite Carvajal red
Tottenham begin Champions League campaign with 1-0 victory over Villareal
Conte described Wednesday’s game as “the moment of truth” for both him and his team, with City’s thumping win in Sunday’s Manchester derby showcasing everything Pep Guardiola’s team has to offer despite a rocky recent run.
Conte, a former Premier League winner with Chelsea, has been attacked throughout his career for a lack of flexibility and a perceived inability to deal with the rigors of European play.
But he has changed his style since taking over at Napoli, and he is well aware of the challenges his players face in Manchester and during the league campaign, which is now in its second season.
“We’re going to start playing every three days, and it’s going to be difficult,” Conte admitted.
“We’re going there as pupils to learn from the masters, me included, in the hope that the pupil may one day beat the master.”
Conte has the support of the club’s belligerent but financially prudent owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, who invested after earning high payments for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen.
Starting center-back Amir Rrahmani is out injured, but another new acquisition, Sam Beukema, performed admirably on Saturday, even scoring on his debut.
Rasmus Hojlund, who replaced the injured Romelu Lukaku, started scoring right away, while other wise signings such as gigantic Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Netherlands striker Noa Lang have bolstered a side led by a revitalized De Bruyne.
