European football: McTominay and De Bruyne power Napoli to win over Sassuolo | European club football
Napoli launched their Serie A season in style with a 2-0 win at Sassuolo on Saturday, as Scott McTominay powered in a first-half header before Kevin De Bruyne curled home a free-kick after the break.
The former Manchester United midfielder McTominay wasted no time in making his mark after last season’s impressive campaign, powering a header into the net from Matteo Politano’s curling cross after just 17 minutes to fire Napoli ahead.
De Bruyne, who moved to Italy after his Manchester City contract expired, doubled the advantage after 57 minutes, bending a free-kick from a tight angle over the crowded box and into the far bottom corner.
Sassuolo’s Serie A return took another downturn when Ismael Kone was shown a second yellow card just minutes from time for a foul on Lorenzo Lucca, leaving the hosts to finish with 10 men.
Bayer Leverkusen suffered a shock 2-1 home loss to Hoffenheim in their Bundesliga season opener on Saturday to hand new coach Erik ten Hag a losing league debut.
Despite going 1-0 up, it was not the performance Dutchman Ten Hag, who replaced Xabi Alonso after the departures of star player Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Granit Xhaka, had wanted.
The 2024 German domestic double winners and last season’s runners-up lacked ideas and precision up front while their backline badly missed Tah’s dominant presence.
Hoffenheim hit the post through Tim Lemperle after two minutes but Leverkusen scored first when Jarell Quansah headed in for a sixth-minute lead.
Fisnik Asllani, however, bagged a 25th-minute equaliser after beating keeper Mark Flekken and things got worse for the hosts seven minutes after the restart when Lemperle drilled in a low shot from 22 yards.
Leverkusen did not get a look-in for much of the second half until Nathan Tella fired into the side netting.
Borussia Dortmund conceded goals in the last four minutes to waste a 3-1 lead and settle for a 3-3 at St Pauli in their Bundesliga opener.
The hosts scored with an 86th-minute Danel Sinani penalty before the captain Eric Smith rifled in an equaliser three minutes later to snatch a surprise draw for the Hamburg club.
Niko Kovac’s Dortmund had taken a 34th minute lead when Serhou Guirassy headed in a pinpoint Marcel Sabitzer cross. The Guinea international could have had another, five minutes later, but the St Pauli keeper Nikola Vasilj did well to save the striker’s penalty.
The Bosnian keeper came to the rescue once more two minutes after the restart, spectacularly tipping a powerful Julian Brandt shot over the bar before the hosts drew level in the 50th courtesy of Andreas Hountondji’s well-timed glancing header.
Dortmund restored their lead with a quick four-pass combination in the box and Walter Anton curling a deflected shot past Vasilj in the 67th minute. Brandt thought he had settled any lingering nerves seven minutes later, superbly controlling a 30-yard ball from Pascal Gross with one touch and drilling in for their third goal. But St Pauli cut the deficit with Sinani’s late penalty that also saw Dortmund’s Filippo Mane sent off with a straight red card, to add some late drama in their season opener.
Their two-goal comeback was complete three minutes later when Smith powered in the equaliser from the edge of the box.
Champions Bayern Munich opened the Bundesliga season on Friday with a 6-0 demolition of RB Leipzig.
In Ligue 1, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted a brace as last season’s runners-up Marseille bounced back from a shock loss at Stade Rennais to clinch a 5-2 win over Paris FC.
Mason Greenwood scored for Marseille from the spot in the 18th minute after Aubameyang was brought down in the box by Otavio. Aubameyang doubled the hosts’ lead six minutes later when he fired home from Greenwood’s corner.
The visitors hit back just four minutes later, as Ilan Kebbal found the net with a curling left-footed shot. Moses Simon hit the equaliser before the hour mark as Paris looked to secure their first point in the French top-flight in 46 years.
But Paris’s Lohann Doucet fumbled as he received the ball from keeper Obed Nkambadio, allowing Bilal Nadir to steal the ball and find an unmarked Aubameyang on the edge of the box. The Gabon international made no mistake with a low right-footed finish in the 73rd minute.
Nadir’s pass helped Pierre-Emile Højbjerg score eight minutes later and Robinio Vaz struck in added time, securing a crucial win for Marseille before next weekend’s visit to Lyon.
