Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates sit tenth in Serie A after two matches of the 2026-27 season, three points collected from a possible six following a home defeat against Como that exposed the defensive fragility Massimiliano Allegri's side must now address.
The defeat matters not as an isolated result but as a signal. Napoli won their opener and lost at home in the second fixture, a pattern that suggests the squad's ceiling and floor are still some distance apart. Allegri acknowledged after the Como match that his side were "too soft," particularly in defence, and identified Scott McTominay's difficulties as part of the problem. That candour is useful context for understanding where De Bruyne fits into a team still finding its shape under Allegri.
De Bruyne, 35, has appeared in one Serie A match this season, recording neither a goal nor an assist but earning a rating of 7.00 — a competent return for a player whose value to Napoli has never been purely statistical. His AI overall of 84 out of 100 reflects a profile built on decision-making and spatial intelligence rather than volume metrics, and at his age those qualities tend to travel better than pace or pressing intensity. The question Allegri must answer is how to deploy them consistently in a system that, against Como, looked vulnerable to direct pressure and defensive errors.
Como's 2-1 victory at the Maradona — goals from Baturina and Douvikas, with Rasmus Højlund replying for Napoli — was earned by a side that punished exactly the kind of softness Allegri later described. For De Bruyne, the result is a reminder that individual quality counts for little when the collective structure fails around it. Napoli's goal difference of plus one across two matches suggests the attack is functioning; the defence, conceding twice in a single home fixture, is the more pressing concern.
With the early weeks of the season already producing a split verdict — one convincing win, one damaging home loss — Allegri's Napoli need De Bruyne's experience to anchor the midfield rather than merely decorate it. The Belgian's role in the next fixture will say more about Allegri's tactical intentions than any post-match press conference.