At the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, September 18, thousands of Manchester City fans attended their first Champions League tie of the season, ready to start their Champions League campaign and watch Kevin De Bruyne’s Manchester City homecoming against Napoli.
However, this return was cut short after Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s red card, but should De Bruyne have been sacrificed or could Antonio Conte have looked to alter the personnel on the pitch elsewhere?
Kevin De Bruyne’s Manchester City Homecoming: De Bruyne’s Appearance
Before the tie, the Belgian midfielder was welcomed onto the pitch as if he were still one of City’s own, after his ten-year spell with the club. Around the stadium, banners displayed his name, and fans chanted his name as he made his return so soon after leaving the club.
Throughout the first twenty-one minutes, De Bruyne performed in a respectable manner as it was honours even in the tie. The Italian champions approached the game in a patient and comfortable manner, waiting to carve out openings and utilise De Bruyne’s creativity.
However, this plan was soon derailed after captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off after hauling down Erling Haaland as he was through on goal. The actions of the captain then mean’t that the Italians had to rethink their tactics to try and salvage a result from the game.
After careful consideration, manager Antonio Conte then removed De Bruyne from the pitch in the 26th minute. As a result, Napoli went from a 4-1-4-1 formation to a 4-4-1 formation with former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund up front as Kevin De Bruyne’s Etihad return was cut short.
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Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s Red Card: Should De Bruyne Have Left the Field of Play?
Throughout the career of a manager, there are matches and situations where they would have considered external aspects of the match when making big decisions, and this is something Antonio Conte will have done with this substitution. However, when analysing this decision tactically, it seems a sensible one, however controversial it may be.
As a team, many will argue that you should go somewhat conservative when at a disadvantage against Pep Guardiola’s men, and by bringing on full-back Mathias Oliveira and opting for a 4-4-1 formation, this solidifies the team, whilst having the potential to create chances.
Therefore, when opting to go from a 4-1-4-1 formation to a 4-4-1 formation, you have to consider removing a central midfielder from the pitch, which, in this case, involved the likes of Stanislav Lobotka and Frank Anguissa, as well as De Bruyne.
Lobotka is integral to the defensive side of Napoli’s game, and Anguissa is defensively energetic with a goal threat. Kevin De Bruyne’s game is more focused on creativity, and thus, if you want to opt for the conservative approach, you should continue with those who excel defensively on the pitch.
Furthermore, without the introduction of a full-back, the Napoli defence would have been out of sorts and left lacking a solid approach to the match. This is a philosophy that Antonio Conte prides himself on, with experience all over Europe. Therefore, the introduction of a full-back was necessary.
Kevin De Bruyne vs Manchester City: A Brave Decision From Conte?
There is no doubting that, given the context of Manchester City vs Napoli for De Bruyne, substituting Kevin De Bruyne was what some may deem a ‘brave’ move from Antonio Conte.
Although this did not prevail and work out well with regard to the final result, De Bruyne was still able to appreciate a warm welcome on his return.
Furthermore, this decision made sense tactically and, given the recent success of Napoli, many fans would suggest it would be unwise to question the team’s approach.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Crystal Pix
Recording Date: 18.09.2025