Napoli secured a solid 3-0 win against Frosinone after adopting a 3-4-3 formation, as Kevin De Bruyne netted twice and Noa Lang scored from close range. The game also marked Scott McTominay‘s comeback after a month away due to heart arrhythmia surgery.
The Partenopei implemented multiple adjustments due to a long injury list, with Benoit Badiashile earning his first start. Antonio Vergara, Costantino Favasuli, Alisson Santos, Frank Anguissa, Mathias Olivera, and Alessandro Buongiorno were sidelined, while Alex Meret, David Neres, and Lorenzo Spinazzola had returned to fitness.
Frosinone came into the match three points ahead of Napoli following a 2-0 win over Como before the international break. Florian Grillitsch and Daniel Birligea were absent, but Antonio Raimondo shook off a minor issue to spearhead the visitors’ attack.
Napoli 3-0 Frosinone: De Bruyne drives new formation
Napoli started with intensity, as Rasmus Højlund hit the post in the third minute from Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s cross. Di Lorenzo then made a crucial defensive play to prevent Giorgi Kvernadze from connecting with Romano Schmid’s pass before the Georgian forced Meret into a save from a narrow angle.
The home side received a debatable penalty when Højlund fell under challenge from Giorgio Cittadini. Højlund took the first penalty, but goalkeeper Lorenzo Palmisani stopped it. A VAR review revealed that Palmisani had moved off his line early, so the penalty was retaken.
Following instructions from the bench, De Bruyne took the second attempt and scored to give Napoli the lead. Shortly after, Di Lorenzo received Højlund’s pass and attempted a shot, but Palmisani denied him. The ball stayed live, enabling Lang to tap into an empty net from close range for 2-0.
Lang threatened once more with a fierce shot toward the near post, making Palmisani save again, while Neres shot just wide after a run starting in his own half.
Scott McTominay returns as Napoli finishes 3-0 victory
Napoli kept generating opportunities after the break. Neres traded passes with Lang before hitting the post narrowly, but a key moment for the home fans was McTominay’s return to the field, greeted with a standing ovation.
Frosinone sought a reply via Kvernadze, whose threatening cross-shots rolled across the goalmouth without a teammate to finish. He later tested Meret directly from the edge of the box.
McTominay nearly scored too, challenging Palmisani at the near post. Substitute Lorenzo Lucca, however, faced jeers from parts of the crowd after a few errors. In added time, Alessio Zerbin crossed into the area, but Tomas Bobcek couldn’t connect for a close-range effort.
Napoli clinched the 3-0 win with the last kick of the game. Giovane surged down the left and cut the ball back from the byline, letting De Bruyne slot a first-time finish with the inside of his right foot into the bottom corner to seal his double.