Napoli began their Serie A campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Genoa at the Luigi Ferraris on Saturday, with late goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Antonio Vergara settling a closely contested encounter.
The visitors struggled to create clear openings in the first half as Genoa enjoyed the better of the early exchanges.
The hosts recorded 56 per cent possession and had seven shots compared with Napoli’s three before the break.
Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret was called into action twice as Genoa looked to make their positive start count, but the visitors’ defence remained organised and kept the score level at half-time.
The game changed after the restart, with Napoli taking greater control of possession and creating more dangerous opportunities.
Manager Massimiliano Allegri introduced De Bruyne and Vergara in the 67th minute, and the substitutions ultimately proved decisive.
De Bruyne broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute, finishing from the edge of the box after a quick attacking move involving Vergara.
Napoli doubled their advantage just five minutes later when Vergara completed a swift counter-attack with a low finish into the bottom corner.
The 23-year-old enjoyed an outstanding cameo, registering a goal and an assist after coming off the bench.
He also won six duels, made four tackles and created a big chance as Napoli finished the match strongly.
Genoa pushed for a response but could not find a way past Napoli, who controlled the closing stages to secure all three points.
The result gives Napoli a perfect start to their Serie A campaign, while Genoa will rue their inability to turn their first-half dominance into goals.
De Bruyne’s decisive contribution also marked an impressive beginning to his Napoli career as the champions showed their ability to grind out victory even when not at their best.
