Kevin De Bruyne shines at Napoli with two goals in three games, ahead of his Champions League return to Manchester City after a decade of success

Kevin De Bruyne Napoli form is grabbing headlines again as the Belgian maestro returns to Manchester City on Thursday in red-hot form, having hit the ground running in Serie A with two goals in three matches for the Italian champions.

Also read: Kolo Touré joins Man City as first-team assistant coach

At 34, De Bruyne looks refreshed and revitalised, leading Napoli’s charge in both domestic and European football after a summer move that raised eyebrows but is now yielding dividends.

His creative influence has been central to Napoli’s perfect start to the league campaign and their renewed ambition in the Champions League, which resumes with a tough clash against Pep Guardiola’s City — the club where De Bruyne spent a decade, winning six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown in 2023.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte has reshaped his midfield to accommodate De Bruyne’s qualities, handing him a free central role while carefully managing the impact on last season’s standout player, Scott McTominay.

In Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Fiorentina, De Bruyne opened the scoring from the penalty spot and dictated play with his trademark vision and passing range, while McTominay operated from the left with attacking licence.

“The role we’re creating for Kevin is perfect,” Conte said. “He’s a bit of a genius. He sees situations others rarely see.”

Conte, often criticised for tactical rigidity, has shown a more flexible approach at Napoli — part of what he describes as a learning curve in European competition.

“We’re going there [to Manchester] as pupils to learn from the masters, myself included,” said Conte. “But perhaps one day, the pupil will beat the master.”

De Bruyne’s return to the Etihad promises to be emotional.

He remains a club legend at City, and his departure marked the end of a glittering era under Guardiola.

But now, under Conte’s guidance, he is steering a new project with Napoli — a team blending experience and youth, and gunning to replicate or even surpass the success of their iconic 2024/25 Scudetto-winning campaign.

Napoli’s summer rebuild saw key players like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sold for large fees, with De Laurentiis reinvesting shrewdly.

The arrivals of Sam Beukema, Noa Lang, Rasmus Hojlund, and Vanja Milinković-Savić have added steel and flair across the pitch.

Beukema made an instant impact with a goal on debut, while Hojlund filled the void left by Romelu Lukaku with a scoring start of his own.

Lang and Milinković-Savić bring balance and depth to a squad now laced with both technical quality and mental resilience.

Despite an injury to Amir Rrahmani, the Partenopei approach the City clash full of belief.

Also read: Kolo Touré joins Man City as first-team assistant coach

Kevin De Bruyne Napoli spell may only be beginning, but it’s already proving he’s far from done at the top level — and could be crucial if Napoli are to make a serious Champions League push this season.