Serie A | Napoli 3-0 Frosinone: De Bruyne inspires new approach

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.

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.

Napoli 3-0 Frosinone

De Bruyne pen 29, 94 (N), Lang 32 (N)

10-10-2026 19:45

MatchDay 6

Napoli

Frosinone

Player statistic

1st half

2nd half

Napoli

Frosinone

Starting lineups

1 Alex Meret Goalkeeper

13 Amir Rrahmani Defender

5 Benoît Badiashile Defender

22 Giovanni Di Lorenzo Defender

37 Leonardo Spinazzola Defender 80'

16 Rafa Marín Defender

11 Kevin De Bruyne Midfielder

68 Stanislav Lobotka Midfielder 71'

7 David Neres Attacker 61'

70 Noa Lang Attacker 72'

19 Rasmus Højlund Attacker 61'

22 Lorenzo Palmisani Goalkeeper

20 Anthony Oyono Defender

79 Gabriele Bracaglia Defender 76'

3 Gabriele Calvani Defender

2 Giorgio Cittadini Defender

14 Giacomo Calò Midfielder

73 Patrizio Masini Midfielder 46'

10 Romano Schmid Midfielder 83'

9 Antonio Raimondo Attacker 63'

7 Farès Ghedjemis Attacker 63'

17 Giorgi Kvernadze Attacker

Substitutes

14 Nikita Contini Goalkeeper

32 Vanja Milinković-Savić Goalkeeper

31 Sam Beukema Defender

35 Luca Marianucci Defender

36 Milton Pereyra Attacker

20 Lorenzo Lucca Attacker 61'

8 Scott McTominay Midfielder 61'

6 Billy Gilmour Midfielder 71'

23 Giovane Attacker 72'

21 Matteo Politano Attacker 80'

91 Sebastiano Desplanches Goalkeeper

5 Wisdom Amey Defender

30 Ilario Monterisi Defender

12 Matteo Pisseri Goalkeeper

25 Kevin Akpoguma Defender

74 Omar Fayed Defender

70 Luis Hasa Midfielder

90 Enzo Tchato Defender

71 Aleksa Terzic Defender 46'

40 Seydou Fini Attacker 63'

89 Tomas Bobcek Attacker 63'

16 Matteo Cichella Midfielder 76'

24 Alessio Zerbin Attacker 83'