'The devil is in our midst' - Antonio Conte explains why Kevin De Bruyne was 'deprived' of ideal Man City return as Napoli boss says red card 'ruined the game' after Champions League defeat

The Belgian international De Bruyne was welcomed back to City with banners, chants, and a hero’s ovation, but his much-anticipated return ended in frustration. Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was dismissed after a VAR check in the 21st minute, forcing Conte to reorganise. De Bruyne, visibly dejected, was the player withdrawn for Mathias Olivera.

Napoli boss Conte admitted it was a painful choice to replace De Bruyne so soon into his Etihad comeback. 

“The devil is in our midst, it was the only thing I could do at that moment. It wasn't just the boy who was disappointed, we deprived him of the satisfaction of playing in his old stadium, but above all me, having had to lose a player like him,” Conte said post-match. He stressed that depriving De Bruyne of playing time against his former club hurt him as much as the player.

Discussing Haaland's opening goal, Conte added: "The only thing we could have done with 10 men was wait and counterattack, but instead we conceded from an attempt to press high. We need more maturity and understanding of the moments, we were excessively generous."

City apitalised on their numerical advantage in the second half, as Haaland struck his 50th Champions League goal in just 49 matches, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record. While Doku added a dazzling solo effort to wrap up a 2-0 victory, with Phil Foden calling Haaland “unbelievable” and praising his teammate’s relentless form.

Despite the brief outing, De Bruyne was serenaded by City fans before, during, and after the game. The Belgian, who won 19 major trophies in his decade at the club, completed a lap of honour post-match with former teammates. The club have already confirmed plans for a statue in his honour outside the Etihad.

City shift focus to a Premier League showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday. Napoli, meanwhile, return to Serie A duty against Pisa, with Conte urging his side to build on the positives he saw before the red card. The defeat leaves the Italians needing to recover quickly in their Champions League campaign.