Kevin De Bruyne scores twice but admits Napoli’s new role is unfamiliar

Kevin De Bruyne says he is still adapting to his deeper role at Napoli, despite scoring twice in their 3-0 win over Frosinone.

The Belgium international was deployed further back in Napoli’s new 3-4-3 system because of several absences in midfield. He opened the scoring from the penalty spot before adding a second after meeting a low cross from Giovanni.

“I am not an emotional person, I am very practical,” De Bruyne told Sky Sport Italia.

Napoli controlled much of the first half but found the second period more difficult, according to the midfielder.

“We played well in the first half and there were some things we could have done better, especially in the second half,” he said. “We had to deal with the ball better.”

De Bruyne felt Napoli regained control late in the match, when their possession made it difficult for Frosinone to recover their rhythm.

“In the last 15 minutes, when we kept the ball, it became very difficult for the opponent to get back into their rhythm,” he added. “But we had a problem with that at the start of the second half.”

“I think we deserved to win. We played well, created chances and scored goals.”

The midfielder also explained that he is more accustomed to playing in an advanced midfield position, despite accepting the demands of Napoli’s latest team selection.

“I have always played as a number eight or a number 10,” De Bruyne said. “Things change over the years, but basically I am used to playing in those two positions.”

He was asked to operate elsewhere against Frosinone because Napoli were missing several midfielders.

“They asked me to play in a different position today because of the number of injuries in midfield,” he said.

De Bruyne said the decision was also influenced by the workload carried by Lobotka and Gilmour during the international break. Both players had played four matches for their national teams, while De Bruyne had missed Belgium’s most recent game.

“Because I missed Belgium’s last match, the coaching staff wanted to give the other players some rest, especially as we are going to play nine matches in the coming weeks,” he explained.

“The schedule is crowded, and that is the nature of things. I try to help the team, and that is all.”

Napoli hope their new formation can provide greater flexibility in the weeks ahead, allowing them to use De Bruyne in more than one position while rotating players during a demanding run of fixtures.

“We were working well at the start of the season and are trying to focus on the future,” De Bruyne said. “We will see what happens in the coming matches.”