Allegri Confirms De Bruyne Came Off With Cramp in Napoli Win
Napoli moved into ninth place in Serie A with a hard-earned 1-0 home win over Bologna, but the closing stages brought concern when Kevin De Bruyne was taken off after an intense outing. Massimiliano Allegri said the midfielder’s withdrawal was precautionary, with cramp rather than a significant injury behind the decision.
Napoli v Bologna at a glance
| Item | Detail | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Result | Napoli 1-0 Bologna | Serie A |
| Winning goal | Stanislav Lobotka, 66th minute | Napoli’s decisive breakthrough |
| Napoli position | Ninth, 6 points | Following the victory |
| Bologna position | 16th, 1 point | An Arthur Theate goal was disallowed for offside |
Lobotka settled a tight contest midway through the second half, giving Napoli a result Allegri felt had been earned through a sharper mentality than in the club’s recent matches against Como and Inter. He said his side had shown the hunger that had been lacking previously, despite elements of those earlier performances being positive.
De Bruyne was substituted late in the game after covering considerable ground. Allegri made clear that the Belgian had suffered cramp and had not sustained a serious problem, though he also underlined the need to manage the player carefully at this stage of his career.
The Napoli coach defended De Bruyne’s advanced positioning near the centre-forward, arguing that the 34-year-old has long played in that area. Allegri pointed to the midfielder’s ability to find room, recognise when to move deeper and dictate play through his first touch and passing range.
Allegri also praised the contribution of Lorenzo Lucca, who entered late on as Napoli sought to protect their narrow lead. His instruction to the forward was simply to open his body and use his shoulders well. Lucca had responded positively, Allegri said, as he had in the match against Arsenal, while adding that the younger members of the squad require confidence to develop.
Bologna briefly believed they had found a way back through Theate, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Napoli held on to secure the clean sheet and a valuable three points.
Attention now turns to Sunday’s meeting with Fiorentina, Napoli’s final fixture before the international break. Allegri wants his side to take confidence from the result while improving their control of matches when holding a one-goal advantage.
