Napoli’s European night against Bodo offered Massimiliano Allegri a useful confirmation: Kevin De Bruyne can influence matches from deeper territory without losing the qualities that make him decisive.
The decision
Allegri handed De Bruyne a new starting role, placing him as Napoli’s lone deep-lying midfielder for the first time. The Belgian had previously operated in deeper areas alongside a recognised holding player, whether Stanislav Lobotka or Billy Gilmour. This time, however, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Scott McTominay played ahead of him as the two more advanced midfielders.
It was a significant adjustment for a player who has repeatedly made clear that he prefers to play closer to the opposition goal. Yet the match gave Napoli’s coach evidence that De Bruyne can still be at the centre of the side from in front of his own defence.
“De Bruyne is an extraordinary player,” Allegri said after the game. “I told him that he would enjoy playing as a deep midfielder.”
From that position, De Bruyne could begin Napoli’s build-up almost on the defensive line, with the whole pitch in front of him. The role gave him time and vision to select between longer switches, shorter combinations and the forward passes into space that remain among his most distinctive assets.
Napoli found a quicker route through the pitch as a result. De Bruyne’s ability to play vertically early allowed the team to move beyond pressure and place their attacking players in promising areas. It was an approach that brought the club back into contention in Europe, even if the performance also exposed a cost at the other end: Napoli conceded three goals, most of them while their defence was already set.
McTominay, who scored his first goals of the season, welcomed the influence of his new midfield colleague.
“De Bruyne is an incredible player and we are delighted to have him,” McTominay said. “We have a strong midfield and we must make the most of his qualities and ours.”
The idea carries echoes of other Italian reinventions. Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to move Andrea Pirlo back at Milan helped shape a major career, while Simone Inzaghi’s use of Hakan Calhanoglu in a deeper role became central to Inter’s recent success. It is too early to place De Bruyne’s change in that category, but Allegri has opened a route that may extend the Belgian’s influence rather than restrict it.
Sunday’s picture
The Bodo match may not settle De Bruyne’s position for the rest of the campaign, particularly given his own preference for playing further forward. But Napoli now have a credible alternative in the middle of the pitch: De Bruyne deeper, Anguissa and McTominay able to run beyond him, and the Belgian free to dictate the rhythm of possession.
For Allegri, it is the kind of coaching decision that can alter the shape of a season. De Bruyne may be operating further from goal, but Napoli’s first experiment suggested he can be more involved, more available and, in the right moments, just as dangerous.
