Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates fell to a 1-2 defeat at home against Como in their second Serie A fixture of the 2026-27 season, leaving Massimiliano Allegri's side sitting eleventh in the table on three points after two matches.
The defeat matters because it interrupts a narrative that had only just begun to form. De Bruyne arrived in Naples carrying the weight of considerable expectation, and his contribution off the bench in the opening-weekend win had offered an early signal of what he might add to this project. A home loss so early in the campaign — conceding twice, with defensive errors cited as the primary cause — complicates that picture before it has had time to develop.
Allegri was direct in his assessment after the final whistle, describing his side as "too soft" defensively and singling out the defensive unit's performance as an area requiring urgent improvement. The Napoli head coach also acknowledged that his approach differs from that of his predecessor, a recognition that the squad may still be adjusting to a new set of demands. Allegri added that there is work to do but expressed confidence the team would improve — a measured response, though one that carries an implicit acknowledgement of structural fragility.
For De Bruyne specifically, the numbers from this young season are modest by design: one appearance, no goals, no assists, and an average match rating of 7.00. His AI overall of 84 out of 100 reflects the quality the platform still attributes to him, but quality is only as useful as the system around it. A 35-year-old midfielder operating in a team that Allegri himself describes as needing to harden defensively faces a particular challenge — his influence depends on Napoli controlling enough of a match to let him dictate rather than react.
Como, managed by Cesc FÃ bregas, arrived at the Maradona and left with all three points, with goals from Baturina and Douvikas doing the damage. That FÃ bregas's side were able to exploit defensive errors against a Napoli team that had looked composed a week earlier at Genoa suggests the Azzurri's defensive organisation remains inconsistent rather than settled.
The early table tells a blunt story: three points from two games, one win and one loss, three scored and two conceded. Napoli are not in crisis, but they are not yet the team Allegri needs them to be. De Bruyne's role in shaping what comes next — whether as a starter or an impact substitute — will depend on how quickly that defensive foundation is laid.