Hojlund’s extra shift, instant payoff
No rest, no problem. On the eve of his first game for Napoli, Rasmus Hojlund gave up his scheduled day off to squeeze in extra work on patterns of play and finishing. Twenty-four hours later, the Danish striker was on the scoresheet in Florence, capping a 3-1 win over Fiorentina that kept the champions’ perfect start to the 2025/26 Serie A season intact.
The goal was classic Hojlund: sharp movement, quick reaction, and a ruthless finish from a rebound inside the six-yard box. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was exactly the kind of penalty-area instinct Napoli bought. For a forward who made his name at Atalanta before a high-pressure spell in England, the return to Serie A looked like a homecoming with bite.
What mattered just as much as the finish was the work that came before it. Club staff noted he spent time reviewing video, drilling pressing triggers, and rehearsing runs with Napoli’s playmakers. That extra session helped him sync with new teammates faster than most debuts allow. The result: he looked like he’d been part of this front line for months, not days.
It helped that Napoli controlled the tempo in one of the league’s toughest away fixtures. Fiorentina pressed bravely and found pockets down the flanks, but Napoli were clinical. Kevin De Bruyne scored twice—one from the spot, another from open play after a swift combination—while Hojlund added the third. The hosts pulled one back, but the champions never looked rattled.
Debut day wasn’t just Hojlund’s story. De Bruyne made his first appearance in Napoli colors and ran the game from midfield, drifting into space, dictating rhythm, and picking passes that split the lines. Scott McTominay also debuted, giving the middle third bite and legs, plugging gaps when Napoli lost the ball and breaking forward when the chance was on. The mix of star power and industry felt deliberate.
What this win says about Napoli now
This wasn’t a September statement win. It was a systems check. Napoli showed they can fold big arrivals into a champion’s structure without losing their edge. The front three rotated smartly, the midfield balanced creation with control, and the back line stayed compact under pressure. That’s not easy to pull off when multiple newcomers are learning on the fly.
Hojlund’s decision to trade rest for reps also tells you how he plans to fit here. Napoli’s attack demands tireless pressing, diagonal runs, and a willingness to attack the near post again and again. He did all of that. The goal was the headline, but his off-ball work opened passing lanes for De Bruyne and eased the workload on the wingers. It’s the grunt work that wins trust fast.
For De Bruyne, the debut was about timing. He didn’t try to dominate every touch. He picked moments—dropping to receive, bursting beyond the forwards, and waiting for the gaps Fiorentina left. The penalty settled early nerves; the second strike validated the game plan. With McTominay snapping into tackles and offering a late-arriving option at the edge of the box, Napoli had both a scalpel and a hammer in midfield.
Fiorentina deserve credit for taking the game to the champions. They pressed high, targeted the space behind full-backs, and kept the Franchi loud. On another day, they might turn one of those early surges into more. But Napoli’s response—absorbing pressure and then cutting through with one or two clean moves—felt like the kind of maturity that wins titles over nine months.
Big picture, the depth is what stands out. If your first away test after a summer overhaul ends with your new striker scoring, your new midfield pairing shining, and your title defense still spotless, that’s a strong indicator. The calendar gets busy now with Europe around the corner, and this squad looks built for the churn: rotation without panic, quality in reserve, and clearer roles each week.
Hojlund’s personal arc is compelling, too. After a season in England that demanded patience and thick skin, he’s back in a league that suits his stride length and direct style. He knows the stadiums, the defenders, and the rhythms of Italian football. That familiarity showed in the little things—checking shoulders before spinning, attacking crosses at pace, and never letting center-backs pin him.
Inside the dressing room, moments like this carry weight. Teammates notice when a new signing gives up a day off before a debut. Coaches remember who takes extra reps to learn a press cue or a set-piece routine. Supporters, especially in Naples, are quick to embrace players who work as hard as they celebrate. One game won’t define Hojlund’s season, but it’s hard to imagine a cleaner first impression.
There’s plenty to refine. The defensive line still needs tighter spacing when full-backs push on, and game management in the final 15 minutes could be calmer. But when a side can score three away to an aggressive opponent and look like there’s still another gear, that’s usually a good sign. The message from Florence was simple: the champions are integrating quickly, and the ceiling is high.
Next up comes the grind—two games a week, recovery cycles, and a rotating cast. That’s where habits like Hojlund’s matter most. Extra hours in the training ground don’t go viral every weekend, but they show up on the scoreboard when legs get heavy in late September. If this debut is the baseline, Napoli just added a center-forward who matches their ambition, and a midfield that can feed him without losing control.