De Bruyne shines, Hojlund scores, Milinkovic saves: Conte’s first CL win | OneFootball

Decisive was Hojlund's brace with a double assist from De Bruyne, amidst the thrill of the temporary equalizer by the Portuguese from a penalty awarded by Politano.

De Bruyne crafts, Hojlund seals, and Milinkovic shuts the door: first Champions joy for Conte

A brace from the Dane, with two assists from the Belgian, gives the Italian coach his first 3 points in the Champions League. Politano's mistake led to the penalty for the temporary equalizer scored by Suarez, and the Serbian goalkeeper was excellent against Hjulmand at the end, who had headed from close range.

A starry night at the Temple dedicated to Diego. Napoli takes the field at the Maradona Stadium against Sporting Lisbon, for the second match of the League Phase of the Champions League. After the bitter debut at the Etihad Stadium with a 2-0 defeat by Manchester City, Conte's team seeks their first three points in Europe.

The match starts with cautious rhythms and great tactical attention from both teams. The first chances come only halfway through the first half, when Napoli decides to maintain suffocating ball possession and raise their center of gravity.

At the 35th minute, Anguissa recovers a precious ball in midfield and serves De Bruyne. The Belgian, in progression, crafts a perfect through ball for Hojlund. The Danish striker doesn't miss and with a precise right foot beats Rui Silva, scoring the 1-0.

Conte's men almost double the lead just before halftime with Politano, but his left foot is blocked by the Portuguese goalkeeper.

In the second half, Napoli continues to push, but at the 62nd minute, Sporting finds the equalizer: Politano brings down Araujo in the area and the referee awards the penalty. From the spot, Suarez doesn't miss and brings the match back to 1-1.

The response from the Azzurri comes in the 78th minute: De Bruyne – once again – delivers a perfect cross from the right and Hojlund, with a header ahead of Rui Silva, scores his personal brace and the definitive 2-1.

In the final moments, Milinkovic-Savic saves the result with a decisive save on a dangerous shot by Hjulmand, securing three precious points. Antonio Conte's team has not yet found its tactical balance. At times they appear sluggish, at other times they struggle to manage the pace and give continuity to their actions. Despite this, football rewards those who strike at decisive moments, and Napoli did so with composure.

The ratings and match report of Napoli-Sporting

Napoli-Sporting 2-1 Scorers: 36’ Hojlund (N), 62’ Suarez pen. (S), 78’ Hojlund (N)

Napoli (4-1-4-1): Milinkovic-Savic 7; Spinazzola 6.5, Beukema 6, Jesus 6.5, Gutierrez 6 (36’ st Olivera NG); Lobotka 6; Politano 5.5 (24’ st Neres 6.5), Anguissa 6.5, De Bruyne 7.5 (36’ st Gilmour NG), McTominay 5.5 (24’ st Lang 6); Hojlund 7.5 (45’ st Lucca NG). Available: Meret, Ferrante, Vergara, Elmas, Ambrosino. Coach: Conte 6.5.

Sporting (4-2-3-1): Rui Silva 6; Araujo 6.5, Inacio 6, Quaresma 5.5 (22’ st Debast 6), Fresneda 6; Simoes 5.5 (33’ st Morita NG), Hjulmand 6.5; Catamo 6 (1’ st Goncalves 6), Trincao 5.5 (1’ st Suarez 6.5), Quenda 6; Ioannidis 5.5 (22’ st Alisson Santos 5.5). Available: Virginia, Diomande, Kochorashvili, Mangas, Matheus Reis, Ribeiro, Vagiannidis. Coach: Borges 6.

Referee: Mekkelie (Netherlands). Booked: – Sent off: –

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