Napoli midfielder Matteo Politano endured a difficult second matchday of the 2026-27 Serie A season as the Azzurri fell 1-2 at home to Como, with Politano among those singled out for a below-par display in a defeat that leaves Massimiliano Allegri's side sitting tenth in the table on three points from two matches.
The result matters because it exposes a tension at the heart of Allegri's Napoli project. The coach has publicly acknowledged he operates differently from his predecessor at the club, and after this defeat he was direct in his assessment: Napoli were too soft, particularly in defence. For a player of Politano's experience — 33 years old and entering what may be his final high-level campaign — the expectation is leadership and precision in moments when the team is under pressure. Neither was sufficiently evident against Como.
Politano's numbers through two league matches tell a modest story: no goals, no assists, and an average rating of 6.75. That figure sits in the functional rather than influential range, the kind of return that keeps a player in the XI but does not define a match. His AI overall of 71 out of 100 reflects a profile that still carries value — a winger with craft and experience — but the early-season evidence suggests he has not yet found the sharpness Allegri needs from wide positions.
The Como defeat was built on defensive errors, and Allegri was candid that there is work to do. Politano's role in the attacking structure means he is not the primary culprit for the goals conceded, but a winger who cannot consistently threaten the opposition also fails to relieve pressure on the back line. The balance is off.
Napoli's opening win gave the season a deceptive gloss. One win, one loss, three goals scored and two conceded: the picture is genuinely open, neither alarming nor encouraging. For Politano specifically, the question is whether the rating climbs as Allegri's system beds in, or whether a 33-year-old winger finds the demands of a new tactical regime harder to absorb than a younger squad member might. The next few weeks will define which version of Politano this Napoli side actually has.