Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne score as Napoli begin title defence with win

McTominay and De Bruyne clinched a win for Napoli (Massimo Paolone/AP)

Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne both got on the scoresheet as Napoli earned a 2-0 win over Sassuolo to kick off their Serie A title defence.

The league’s player of the season McTominay picked up where he left off following his incredible 2024-25 campaign with a header to put them in front.

Former Manchester City star De Bruyne then scored on his debut after the interval with a free-kick and a difficult afternoon for the hosts continued when Ismael Kone was sent off for a second yellow card.

De Bruyne scored Napoli’s second (Massimo Paolone/AP)

In Germany, Erik ten Hag’s first league game as Bayer Leverkusen boss ended in defeat after they were beaten 2-1 by Hoffenheim.

Jarrell Quansah, signed from Liverpool for £35million in July, headed Leverkusen into an early lead but the visitors levelled before the break through Fisnik Asllani and Tim Lemperle fired a brilliant second-half winner.

Borussia Dortmund relinquished a two-goal lead late in the day as St Pauli came from behind to earn a 3-3 draw after having Filippo Mane sent off.

Serhou Guirassy, Waldemar Anton and Julian Brandt put Dortmund on course for a routine win as they were 3-1 up heading into the final minutes of the contest.

But after Mane saw red, it opened the door for St Pauli who pulled a goal back from the spot through Danel Sinani before Eric Smith snatched a point in the 89th minute.