Napoli have found a harder edge at the moment it matters. The 3-0 win over Frosinone brought a clean sheet, three goals and a response in attitude before the Champions League return against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
Max Allegri’s side arrived needing to correct the flaws exposed in Florence, where the coach had demanded greater control in decisive phases of matches. Against Frosinone, Napoli played with authority and rediscovered the sense that there is both a leader on the pitch and a clear hand on the bench.
Quick facts
- Napoli beat Frosinone 3-0, keeping a clean sheet.
- Kevin De Bruyne scored twice and made nine ball recoveries.
- De Bruyne recovered two more possessions than Benoit Badiashile and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who recorded seven each.
- Badiashile made his first start in seven months.
- Scott McTominay returned for around 30 minutes after his heart procedure and arrhythmia.
- Napoli face Villarreal away in their second Champions League outing.
The most striking change was the switch to a back three. Napoli used a 3-4-2-1, at times resembling a 3-4-3, rather than the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 shapes seen earlier in the season.
Allegri fielded three specialist central defenders, with attacking wing-backs supporting the striker. Badiashile, Rafa Marin and Amir Rrahmani gave the side height, strength and sharper timing in their defensive work, with the Frenchman making an immediate impression after a long spell without a start.
Whether this is a permanent adjustment or merely a solution for a particular run of fixtures will be answered over the league and cup campaign. The performance against Frosinone, however, offered a strong case for retaining the structure.
De Bruyne was central to it. He shared the first phase of Napoli’s build-up with Stanislav Lobotka, supplied the class expected of him and added two goals, but his work without the ball carried equal significance.
The Belgian finished first in the match for possessions regained, collecting nine. His willingness to cover ground and compete for the ball for the full 90 minutes showed a player taking responsibility for Napoli’s new direction rather than simply decorating it.
There remains a question over his most suitable role. Allegri has used De Bruyne as a deeper playmaker, while the player has described himself as an No. 8 or No. 10: an attacking midfielder rather than a holding presence. Villarreal will provide a more demanding test of that balance.
McTominay’s return adds another option. The Scotland midfielder came on as a holding player against Frosinone, allowing De Bruyne to move higher, and later wrote that he had returned with fresh motivation after putting his cardiac surgery and arrhythmia behind him.
“I came back with a new hunger. Work always,” McTominay said on social media.
With McTominay, Lobotka or Billy Gilmour, and De Bruyne available in midfield, Napoli could also have the personnel for a 3-5-2. Allegri now has the decision, having earned renewed belief from his squad with the Frosinone display.
Europe remains the unresolved part of Napoli’s opening season story. Reaching the play-off round is the minimum target, and that requires the team to begin winning on the continental stage. The visit to Villarreal asks Napoli to carry the authority of Sunday afternoon into a very different night.
