Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne marked his first Serie A appearance by scoring from a free kick as reigning champions Napoli defeated Sassuolo 2–0 on the road on Saturday, 23 August. De Bruyne’s strike opened the scoring and set the tone for Napoli, who begin their title defence with a convincing victory. Sassuolo struggled to threaten the visitors, and Napoli added a second goal late in the match to secure all three points.