Napoli captain accepts blame for Man City defeat | OneFootball

Napoli lost 2-0 to Manchester City last night in their return to the Champions League.

Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off in the 21st minute for bringing down City forward Erling Haaland outside of the box with a rash tackle.

From here, Antonio Conte’s side battled hard but were unable to prevent the City machine from rolling over them in the end.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Erling Haaland of Manchester City is fouled by Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Napoli resulting in a red card during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and SSC Napoli at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Two goals within ten minutes from Haaland and Jeremy Doku were enough to give the Premier League giants all three points.

Napoli captain Di Lorenzo accepts blame for Man City defeat

In a post published on his official Instagram account, Di Lorenzo apologised to his teammates and fans alike.

“As captain, I take responsibility,” his statement reads, “I’m sorry for having complicated our return to the Champions League.”

“I’m proud of my teammates who fought until the very last minute,” he continued, “We have another 7 matches where I’m sure we will show our worth. Forza Napoli.”

Conte’s side will face Sporting on October 1, before a trip to PSV on October 21. The Neapolitans will then host Frankfurt and Qarabag on November 4 and November 21 respectively.

They finish their league phase campaign with matches against Benfica, Copenhagen and Chelsea.