Hojlund thanks ‘legend’ De Bruyne after brace for Napoli against Sporting | OneFootball

Napoli got their first Champions League win since the 2023-24 season tonight with a 2-1 win over Sporting. Napoli forward Rasmus Hojlund was solid in attack, helping his side to victory with a brace.

Speaking to Sky Sport after the game, with quotes via the Corriere dello Sport, Hojlund described the night as “A fantastic evening and I thank my teammates for this.

NAPLES, ITALY – OCTOBER 01: Rasmus Hojlund of SSC Napoli celebrates after scoring his side first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between SSC Napoli and Sporting Clube de Portugal at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 01, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Hojlund continued, delighted with his side’s win, their first in this season’s competition after an opening game defeat to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

“We’ve picked up our first points in the Champions League, but the journey is long and we need to keep going like this,” Hojlund said, “Later on we’ll also face Eintracht, where my brother Oscar plays, and I can’t wait.”

Hojlund thanks ‘legend’ De Bruyne in Napoli win

Former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne had an excellent game on Wednesday evening, assisting both of Hojlund’s goals.

Just last year, the duo were on opposing sides of the fierce rivalry in Manchester, with both leaving their respective clubs to join Antonio Conte’s side in the summer.

NAPLES, ITALY – OCTOBER 01: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli battles for possession with Francisco Trincao of Sporting Clube de Portugal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between SSC Napoli and Sporting Clube de Portugal at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 01, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Speaking about De Bruyne, Hojlund said “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.”

De Bruyne’s first assist was an incisive pass on a counter-attack that played Hojlund through perfectly to calmly slot the ball past Rui Silva. The second came from a corner, with a ball swinging in to the near post that the Dane headed in.

Read our player ratings for the match here.