De Bruyne brace powers Napoli past Frosinone as Allegri insists he's 'even better' in deeper midfield role

Kevin De Bruyne scored twice — including with literally the last kick of the game — as Napoli returned to winning ways in Serie A with a commanding 3-0 victory over Frosinone, a result that lifted the Partenopei up to eighth in the table.

It was the Belgian's first Serie A brace, and his 12th multi-goal performance across Europe's top five leagues — though his first since April 2024, when he struck twice for Manchester City against Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Heading into the fixture, De Bruyne had registered just one goal and one assist in five Serie A appearances of the 2026-27 season, according to FotMob's player data, making this an emphatic response.

Penalty drama, Lang finish, stoppage-time seal

The opener came from the spot and required a second attempt: Rasmus Hojlund saw Napoli's initial penalty saved, only for the kick to be pulled back for encroachment, and De Bruyne made no mistake from the retake. Noa Lang added the second, taking a touch past a Frosinone defender before converting into an unguarded net, and De Bruyne had the final word — tapping in from Giovane's low centre in the fourth minute of stoppage time to round off the scoring with the last kick of the match.

Allegri's pitch: 'Even better' in a deeper role

Handicapped by injuries, Massimiliano Allegri switched to a 3-4-3 formation and stationed De Bruyne alongside Stanislav Lobotka at the heart of midfield. The coach is now trying to convince his star man that a deeper playmaking berth suits him best — even if the player himself is not keen on the idea.

"He is an extraordinary player, and in my view, if he's working as a playmaker in that midfield pairing, he's even better," Allegri told Sky Sport Italia. "I told him he can extend his career by another couple of years if he plays in that position. He doesn't like it very much, as he enjoys himself more in an advanced role, but he did really well."

Allegri also cautioned that patience will be required with his returning stars.

"Let's not forget, he was out injured for a long time last year; Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour were injured too, so it takes a little time and patience to get everyone in good shape," he said.

First-half hunger, second-half management

Napoli were relentless before the interval, registering 13 of their 19 shots before the break, and Allegri singled out their intensity for praise.

"The best thing was the aggression and hunger we showed at the start of the game," he added. "If we want to analyse it technically, there were six or seven situations where we got into good positions and didn't even manage to get a shot on goal. Frosinone are a team who can go on the counter if you don't finish that move; it turns into a ping-pong match and forces you to use up a lot of energy."

David Neres sent two promising efforts wide of the target either side of half-time, while Scott McTominay made his return following his spell on the sidelines due to heart surgery. Frosinone carried a threat of their own late on through Giorgi Kvernadze and Tomas Bobcek, and Allegri admitted his side's defensive work remains a work in progress as several returning players tired.

"In the second half, we were a little more defensive, as there were many players back from a long time out and they were getting tired," Allegri said. "We did well to control the situation, then had the chances that we simply cannot get wrong; we needed to make the right passes when two-on-one or three-on-two."

"The most important thing is to be more solid and protect the defence; we still allowed too many opportunities," he concluded.

Timely response after a testing autumn

The victory was Napoli's third of the Serie A season and made it three league games unbeaten following back-to-back defeats, easing the early pressure that had been mounting on Allegri after a slow start to the campaign — one that, as reported in late September, constituted the club's worst Serie A start in a decade.

It also served as an on-pitch answer to the off-field chatter around De Bruyne, who insisted last month that he never attempted to force an exit from Napoli during the summer transfer window, despite speculation linking him with a move away amid earlier suggestions of friction with former coach Antonio Conte. With Allegri now at the helm, the deeper role paying early dividends and his league goal tally for the season trebled in one afternoon, the turbulence of Naples' early autumn is, for now, being steadily smoothed over.

Napoli (3-4-3): De Bruyne partnered Lobotka in central midfield, with Hojlund, Lang and Neres among those involved in the attacking phases. McTominay featured off his heart surgery layoff as Anguissa and Gilmour continue their recoveries.

Match details per FotMob's match report; Allegri quotes via Sky Sport Italia.

Key takeaways

• De Bruyne's brace was his first in Serie A and his first multi-goal game since April 2024 against Crystal Palace.
• Allegri believes the deeper midfield pairing role can extend De Bruyne's career by "another couple of years", though the Belgian prefers an advanced position.
• Napoli's 3-0 win made them unbeaten in three league games after back-to-back losses, lifting them to eighth.
• The coach warned his side must still defend better despite the clean sheet.