McTominay's return goals mask Napoli's familiar defensive leak
Scott McTominay scored twice as Napoli beat Bodo/Glimt 4-3 in the Champions League, but his comeback from heart surgery cannot hide a defence still shipping goals at the Maradona.
Scott McTominay scored twice for Napoli in a 4-3 Champions League win over Bodo/Glimt at the Stadio Maradona, his first goals since returning from a procedure to correct a minor cardiac arrhythmia.
The Scotland international had been out for roughly a month before the surgery and only returned to the starting line-up last week. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the match, he described himself as "nearly there" in his recovery, adding that he still needs "to do more of the fitness programme to get back to a top level."
McTominay's road back from a heart procedure
The contribution matters beyond the scoreline. A player who had to step away from competitive football for a cardiac issue scoring twice in a chaotic European night is as much a fitness marker as a tactical one, and McTominay framed it that way himself, pointing to the work still required rather than treating the goals as a finished job.
He also used the moment for something personal. After Matteo Politano celebrated his volley by lifting his shirt over a cushion, a gesture typically used to mark an expectant partner, McTominay repeated it. Asked directly whether a child was on the way, he said simply, "It's amazing!"
On the collective picture, McTominay was keen to stress application over any sense of arrival, saying Napoli know "we have to do better, but it's a start with four goals," and that nights like this one were "special" for the club's supporters.
Four goals, three conceded, same old pattern
Napoli's attack did its job. McTominay's brace was added to by Politano's volley and a late goal from Giovane, enough to see off Bodo/Glimt in what became an open, end-to-end contest at the Maradona.
The issue is what happened at the other end. Napoli let in three goals against the Norwegian side, continuing a pattern of defensive lapses that has shown up repeatedly this season even in matches they have gone on to win.
Asked why Napoli keep switching off defensively, McTominay did not offer a tactical explanation so much as a result-first one. He called it "a good game to watch," said the team would review it the following day to "see where we can do better," and insisted Napoli "did everything necessary to bring home the result."
That answer is instructive in what it does not say. There was no mention of a specific structural fix, no reference to pressing triggers or defensive line, only an acknowledgement that the concessions need addressing. For a team now conceding this freely in a competition that punishes defensive carelessness more than Serie A does, three goals shipped at home in a game Napoli led is a result papering over a recurring problem rather than erasing it.
De Bruyne's deeper role and the search for balance
Napoli set up in a 4-3-3 against Bodo/Glimt, with Kevin De Bruyne operating from a deeper midfield position rather than his more familiar advanced playmaking spot. By McTominay's account, the Belgian excelled there, prompting the verdict: "Unbelievable, what a player."
McTominay added that Napoli are "so happy to have him" and that De Bruyne is "in great condition," while also pointing to the broader midfield picture, name-checking Stanislav Lobotka as another player Napoli need to integrate into the same unit. His closing point was that the squad has the individual quality but still needs to "find that gel to work all together."
That phrase captures the tension running through this win. Napoli can field attacking talent capable of winning a chaotic, seven-goal match on its own, but the same evening exposed a defensive side of the team that has not yet found its own equivalent cohesion. A deeper De Bruyne gives Napoli more control in possession; it has not yet translated into control without the ball.
The next test for that balance comes as Napoli continue their Champions League league phase, where conceding at this rate will not always come with enough goals at the other end to compensate.