Scott McTominay came off the bench to help Napoli beat Lecce 1-0 on Tuesday night, with the former Manchester United midfielder catching the eye – again – in the Italian top flight
Scott McTominay has once again shown Manchester United what they’re missing out on. The 28-year-old midfielder, who was snapped up by Napoli in August 2024 for a mere £25m, has had a cracking start to the season, helping Antonio Conte’s side climb to the top of Serie A.
He was instrumental in securing victory for the Italian heavyweights against Lecce on Tuesday night, coming off the bench to bag three huge points in the title race. Within moments of McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund coming on, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa finally broke the deadlock for Napoli.
Although the Scotsman wasn’t directly involved in the goal, his presence undoubtedly altered the game’s dynamics. McTominay, who had an outstanding season last term, had found it challenging to replicate that impact this season but is now finding his form again.
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Anguissa is also making a splash in Italy, netting the match’s only goal in the 69th minute after connecting with a superb cross from David Neres, heading the ball past Wladimiro Falcone. Napoli are now three points ahead of AC Milan in Serie A as they aim to retain their title as champions of Italy.
Speaking to DAZN after the game, Conte downplayed Gli Azzurri’s promising start to the campaign. The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss dismissed claims that they’re benefitting from injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne as ‘completely absurd’.
“People forget that we are having to make do,” said Conte, as quoted by TNT Sports. “People talk about these big reinforcements. Now, some even try to suggest we are benefiting from the injuries to Lukaku and De Bruyne – it’s completely absurd.
“All we’ve got in goal now is [Vanja] Milinkovic-Savic, but some over the summer were asking why we had invested so much in a quality goalkeeper. [Noah] Lang had two knocks in the same spot, so I think his muscle hardened. It is not a serious problem.
“I am glad for him too, having his first start, as we need everyone in this difficult moment. The important thing is that we never lack the right spirit.”
Conte singled out Anguissa, who sits second in the league’s scoring charts, whilst showering his squad with praise for their attitude. The Napoli boss said: “These games are never easy, especially after a match like the one with Inter that used up so much energy.
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“We played against a very good team. It is always tough to play here in Lecce. I think we should’ve controlled the final stages better, even if we didn’t run many big risks – mentality is first and foremost.
“It was a very good first half, then this penalty could’ve changed the course of the game, but our goalkeeper did well and we went on to deserve the victory. I am very happy for Frank.
“If he’s constantly switched on, then there are few players like him, but he still needs to improve his finishing. We need to score goals from everyone. It doesn’t matter if they are strikers, midfielders or defenders.”
McTominay has made 11 appearances this season, netting four times, with his most important goal coming against Inter Milan just last weekend. The Scottish international doubled the lead for his team against the Nerazzurri, slotting home a perfectly timed half-volley.
Following the match, McTominay commemorated the moment with a celebratory Instagram post, which rapidly surpassed 150,000 likes. Among the thousands of comments from fans, Bruno Fernandes left a classy message.
“Pazzesco [love heart eye emoji],” wrote the United skipper, which translates to ‘crazy’ in English. McTominay will be aiming to maintain his ‘crazy’ form when Napoli face off against Como on Saturday afternoon.
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