Rudi Garcia’s inaugural match leading Napoli from the home dugout at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona culminated in triumph, as they secured a 2-0 victory over Sassuolo in Serie A, extending their unbeaten head-to-head streak to six matches.
In their previous eight Serie A home games, Gli Azzurri had not managed to find the net during the first half. However, their intentions were evident right from the start against I Neroverdi. Giacomo Raspadori seized upon Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s cross, rattling the post with a shot in the opening minute.
This determination paid off as debutant Daniel Boloca fouled Matteo Politano in the box, leading to Victor Osimhen converting a penalty with authority. This goal marked Osimhen’s 100th club career goal.
Sassuolo exhibited a solid response, yet struggled at times to advance out of their own half, making the cooling break likely appreciated by both sides.
Upon resumption, Alessio Dionisi’s side exerted a more noticeable influence on the game, orchestrating ball movement. Both goalkeepers faced challenges before halftime: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Ruan Tressoldi narrowly missed headers from well-struck corners.
However, the visitors’ progress was hampered shortly after halftime when Maxime Lopez was dismissed due to dissent.
Sassuolo received a brief reprieve when Raspadori missed a penalty, firing over the bar after Jeremy Toljan was penalised for handling Amir Rrahmani’s header. Yet, their relief was short-lived.
Just three minutes after entering as a substitute, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia played a through ball to Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who executed a precise finish.
Although Victor Osimhen seemed slightly frustrated by not securing another brace, Napoli comfortably clinched three points as they aimed to defend the Scudetto earned in the previous season.
On the other hand, Sassuolo suffered their second Serie A defeat of the season and extended their winless league streak to eight matches, dating back to April.