Italians in UCL — Spalletti Old Lady's savior, KDB wants to play from bed

Italian representatives in the Champions League, Juventus and Napoli, are struggling in Europe’s top competition. After three matches, the Old Lady has just 2 points, while Napoli sits one point higher. Still, both teams are entering their upcoming games — Juventus against Sporting and Napoli against Eintracht — in good form, having recently recorded victories in their domestic league.

However, Juventus are facing serious challenges — and now, more than ever, they need a touch of the Spalletti effect in the Champions League. The Bianconeri find themselves lagging in the group standings, with only two points collected from their opening three matches.

After stabilising their domestic form with back-to-back league victories, Juve have managed to close the gap toward the top of Serie A. However, the task ahead in Europe remains daunting, as they look to finally claim a long-awaited three-point haul against Sporting.

The managerial change appears to have sparked something within the team. Wins over Udinese and in the always-tricky trip to Cremona have restored belief and shown signs of renewed unity after a run of eight games without a win. It may be premature to call this a full turnaround, but there’s a sense that the squad has begun to respond and accept collective responsibility.

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Now attention shifts back to the Champions League, where Juventus urgently need to reverse their fortunes. Their next match, against Sporting, offers a golden opportunity: the Portuguese side may have six points so far, but their record away from home against clubs from Europe’s top five leagues is dreadful — just one win in their last 24 attempts.

"Hi everyone, as you know I'll be out for a while. The good news is that the surgery was a complete success. My comeback has already begun. Thank you for all the messages."

This message comes from Kevin De Bruyne, shared on social media and directed to all Napoli supporters as well as his global followers. The Italian midfielder used his Instagram account to spread optimism to his 26.7 million followers, and his words clearly aim to touch hearts.

The response from teammates was immediate. Matteo Politano, Billy Gilmour, Ambrosino, Rrahmani, and Mazzocchi all reacted with hearts and prayer emojis. Sam Beukema added a supportive: "Come on De Bruynerss."

Napoli fans responded with overwhelming warmth and encouragement. Comments poured in, including: "We're waiting for you, Kevin," "Come back soon, we have to win the title," and "Get well soon, champion, Napoli is waiting for you!"

Thousands of messages — over 7,000 — flooded Kevin’s post, which featured a striking black-and-white photo of him on the pitch, holding a ball and wearing a Napoli jersey.

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De Bruyne underwent surgery following a high-grade tear to the biceps femoris in his right thigh, and now begins the road to recovery with the full support of fans and teammates alike.

Certainly, what Antonio Conte’s team is looking forward to is the match against Eintracht in the Champions League — the first opportunity for the Italian side to get back on track in Europe’s premier competition.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 4

Tuesday

20.45: (1.65) Napoli (4.35) Eintr.Frankfurt (5.10)

20.45: (13.0) Slavia Praha (5.70) Arsenal (1.25)

23.00: (1.30) Atl.Madrid (6.50) St.Gilloise (10.0)

23.00: (2.35) Bodo (3.70) Monaco (3.05)

23.00: (1.95) Juventus (3.85) Sporting (3.90)

23.00: (2.45) Liverpool (3.90) Real Madrid (2.75)

23.00: (2.65) Olympiakos (3.60) PSV (2.70)

23.00: (2.60) PSG (3.80) Bayern (2.65)

23.00: (1.48) Tottenham (4.60) Copenhagen (7.25)

Wednesday

20.45: (7.00) Paphos (4.40) Villareal (1.47)

20.45: (8.00) Qarabag (5.30) Chelsea (1.35)

23.00: (3.20) Ajax (4.00) Galatasaray (2.15)

23.00: (2.05) Benfica (3.70) Leverkusen (3.70)

23.00: (5.50) Club Brugge (5.15) Barcelona (1.53)

23.00: (1.05) Inter (14.0) Kairat Almaty (45.0)

23.00: (1.45) Man.City (5.25) Dortmund (6.75)

23.00: (1.50) Newcastle (4.20) Ath.Bilbao (6.75)

23.00: (2.10) Olympique Marseille (3.75) Atalanta (3.50)

***odds are subject to change***