Serie A | Napoli 3-0 Frosinone: De Bruyne inspires new approach
NAPLES, ITALY - OCTOBER 10: Noa Lang of SSC Napoli celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammate Kevin De Bruyne (R) during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Frosinone Calcio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Napoli impressed with a new 3-4-3 tactic to beat Frosinone 3-0 with a chaotic Kevin De Bruyne brace and Noa Lang tap-in, while Scott McTominay made his return.
The Partenopei moved to a 3-4-3 system with Benoit Badiashile’s first start, as Antonio Vergara joined Costantino Favasuli, Alisson Santos, Frank Anguissa, Mathias Olivera and Alessandro Buongiorno on the treatment table. Alex Meret, David Neres and Lorenzo Spinazzola all recovered, with Scott McTominay available for the first time a month after surgery for a cardiac arrhythmia.
Frosinone were three points ahead of Napoli going into this match, having beaten Como 2-0 before the break for international duty. Florian Grillitsch and Daniel Birligea missed out, but Antonio Raimondo shook off a knock to lead the attack.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
It was a frantic start from the hosts, as in the third minute Rasmus Hojlund thumped the upright from the Giovanni Di Lorenzo cross as he managed to get in front of his marker.
Di Lorenzo was decisive at the other end to stop Giorgi Kvernadze meeting the Romano Schmid cross from the right, then the Georgia international tested Meret from the tightest of angles.
There was controversy when Hojlund burst into the box and went down under pressure from Giorgio Cittadini for a soft penalty, which VAR opted not to suggest a review for.
Hojlund stepped up much to the chagrin of Allegri on the touchline and it was parried by Lorenzo Palmisani, but VAR showed the goalkeeper’s feet were off the line, so it had to be retaken. The coach intervened and ordered De Bruyne go instead, converting successfully.
Moments later, Di Lorenzo turned a defender on the Hojlund lay-off to be blocked off by Palmisani, but the ball kept going and Lang was ready to turn into an empty net from close range for 2-0.
Lang also stung Palmisani’s gloves with a ferocious strike at the near post, while Neres drilled inches wide after starting a run from inside his own half.
After the restart, Neres completed a rapid give and go with Lang to graze the upright, but more importantly McTominay made his comeback to a standing ovation.
A couple of dangerous Kvernadze cross-shots flashed past Meret with no Frosinone teammates ready to take advantage, then tested the goalkeeper himself from the edge of the area.
McTominay almost scored, testing Palmisani at the near post, but fellow substitute Lorenzo Lucca was jeered for a couple of mistakes.
In stoppages, Alessio Zerbin rolled across and Tomas Bobcek couldn’t get on the end of it for a tap-in from six yards.
With the last kick of the game, Giovane got down the left and pulled back from the byline, where De Bruyne gently guided it first-time in at the near bottom corner with the inside of the boot.
De Bruyne pen 29, 94 (N), Lang 32 (N)
1st half
| Kevin De Bruyne |  |
29' | ||
| Noa Lang |  |
32' |
2nd half
| Amir Rrahmani |  |
80' | ||
| Benoît Badiashile | 85' |
NAP
FRO
1
Goalkeeper
13
Defender
5
Defender
22
Defender
37
Defender
80'
16
Defender
11
Midfielder
68
Midfielder
71'
7
Attacker
61'
70
Attacker
72'
19
Attacker
61'
22
Goalkeeper
20
Defender
79
Defender
76'
3
Defender
2
Defender
14
Midfielder
73
Midfielder
46'
10
Midfielder
83'
9
Attacker
63'
7
Attacker
63'
17
Attacker
14
Goalkeeper
32
Goalkeeper
31
Defender
35
Defender
36
Attacker
20
Attacker
61'
8
Midfielder
61'
6
Midfielder
71'
23
Attacker
72'
21
Attacker
80'
91
Goalkeeper
5
Defender
30
Defender
12
Goalkeeper
25
Defender
74
Defender
70
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