De Bruyne leads Napoli to 2-0 win at Genoa after Inter Milan beat Monza 4-1

De Bruyne turns the tide for Napoli

Napoli opened their 2026/27 Serie A campaign with a 2-0 victory away to Genoa, powered by a decisive late contribution from Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Manager Antonio Conte opted to start De Bruyne on the bench, leaving last season's league runners-up struggling to establish control during a tightly contested first half. Genoa, featuring Vitinha, were navigating their first official match without key Argentine striker Santiago Castro following his transfer to Roma. Conte altered the flow of the match with second-half substitutions, introducing De Bruyne in the 67th minute. The deadlock held until the 82nd minute, when De Bruyne latched onto a through ball from Antonio Vergara to score the opener. Five minutes later, in the 87th minute, De Bruyne turned provider and assisted Vergara for the second goal, securing all three points for Napoli.

Inter Milan begin title defense with four goals

Defending Serie A champions Inter Milan launched their campaign earlier on Saturday with a 4-1 home victory over newly promoted Monza at the Giuseppe Meazza in San Siro. The opening goal of the 2026/27 Italian league season arrived in the sixth minute when Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu struck a long-range shot from ten meters outside the box, assisted by French midfielder Andy Diouf. Monza drew level in the 29th minute when Portuguese forward Gustavo Varela received a pass from Mathis Mout, turned past Swiss defender Manuel Akanji, and placed his shot past Spanish goalkeeper Josep Martinez. Monza also fielded Portuguese player Ricardo Mangas in their starting lineup.

Inter intensified their pressure after the interval, starting with a dangerous effort from Francesco Esposito. Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski restored Inter's lead in the 48th minute following an error by Monza goalkeeper Semuel Pizzignacco. Inter extended their advantage to 3-1 in the 55th minute when Esposito converted a spinning backheel finish after another assist from Diouf. German defender Yann Bisseck completed the scoring in the 63rd minute with a placed strike.

Cagliari secure away victory in Parma

Cagliari earned a 1-0 victory against Parma on Saturday, collecting three points away from home in their opening league fixture. Parma generated multiple clear scoring opportunities during the first half, but both teams entered the interval without a goal. Cagliari increased their initiative following the break, with Portuguese player Jose Pedro starting in the lineup. The decisive moment came in the 79th minute when 20-year-old Swiss midfielder Alessandro Romano found the net. Cagliari protected their narrow lead through the closing minutes to seal the away win.

Udinese and Como share points in opening round

In Udine, Udinese and Como shared the points in a 1-1 draw on Saturday. The home side took the lead in the 29th minute through Ivorian player Hassane Kamara. Como responded after the break, securing the equalizer in the 54th minute through Greek forward Anastasios Douvikas. Meanwhile, in French Ligue 1 action, Lyon defeated Toulouse 2-0 on the road. Julien Duranville started for Lyon before being replaced by Malick Fofana past the hour mark. Noah Nartey opened the scoring for Lyon in the 68th minute, and Fofana scored the second goal to confirm the win.