Napoli secures first Champions League win with Hojlund double

Napoli secured their first points in the 2025-26 Champions League season with a 2-1 home victory over Sporting Lisbon, thanks to a brace from on-loan Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund. Both goals were expertly assisted by Kevin De Bruyne, whose playmaking was pivotal throughout the match, earning him Football Italia's Man of the Match honors. Sporting briefly leveled the score in the 62nd minute through a Luis Suarez penalty, but Napoli regained the lead in the 79th minute with a cross from De Bruyne that Hojlund headed in. Despite Sporting's efforts and a late chance to equalize, Napoli's goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic made a crucial save in injury time to secure the win. Napoli's coach Antonio Conte made tactical adjustments allowing Sporting more possession, which indirectly led to Napoli's goals, while De Bruyne's influence was marked by his creativity and calm presence in midfield. This triumph followed Napoli's 2-0 loss to Manchester City in their opening Champions League match, marking a positive turnaround for the Serie A champions.