Napoli striker Rasmus Hojlund scored twice, both sides of a Luis Suarez penalty, to secure a 2-1 home victory on Sporting on Wednesday and to start the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 campaign of the host with his first points of the competition.
Despite much attacking promise from both sides, there were no real scoring options until Napoli scored in the 36th minute, the goal that came from a clinical counterattack that left sporting shadows.
Kevin De Bruyne played a defense-splitting pass for Hojlund to run on, and after the ball took the area, the Napoli striker threw his effort through the legs of keeper Rui Silva.
Minutes later Matteo Politano tried to curl a shot within the upright, but Silva parried the ball for a corner to keep taking during the game during the break.
Sporting brought two changes at the start of the second half, with striker Suarez, together with midfielder Pedro Goncalves, but it had difficulty finding a way back in the game until Popiliano Maximiliano Araujo polled in the area.
Suarez went to the level from the place in the 62nd minute, and the Shellshocked -host took some time to recover while Sporting created opportunities and Goncalves attempt to make the bar.
Napoli regrouped and was back for 11 minutes of time with De Bruyne and Hojlund combining.
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De Bruyne sent a cross from the left, and the Danish attacker came the ball for the rusty keeper to send a torway buyer in the net.
Sporting almost pulled an extra equalizer, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic made a reflex to keep the header of Morten Hjulmand out, and the city of Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was able to breathe a sigh of relief when the last whistle came.
Both parties now have three points, after Napoli lost his opening match 2-0 in Manchester City, while the Portuguese club started with a 4-1 victory over Kairat Almaty.
Juventus held up to 2-2 draw by Villarreal
Villarreal took a dramatic 2-2 draw against Juventus in the Champions League, with Renato Veigea’s last-minute header denied the Italian side his first victory.
Georges Mikautadze brought Villarreal ahead in the 18th minute and finished cool in the far corner after Nicolas Pepe spent him in the area. The host continued to threaten Alfonso Pedraza and Tajon Buchanan, but Juventus keeper Mattia Perin both denied before the break.
Juventus gathered in the second half, similar to the acrobatic overhead shovel of Federico Gatti in the 49th minute, and Francisco Conukicao gave it the lead seven minutes later, with a defensive mistake to give the house.
But Villarreal refused to admit, and Veiga rose the highest to go up close in the 90th minute, making the host secure his first point of the campaign.
Published on October 2, 2025
