Rasmus Hojlund Breaks Through with Champions League Milestone That Eluded Him at Manchester United
Rasmus Højlund maintained his excellent scoring streak away from Manchester United on Wednesday night as the Napoli loanee found the net twice in Champions League action.
The 22-year-old striker increased his season total to four goals across club and international duty with his double in Napoli's 2–1 triumph against Sporting CP, extending his remarkable beginning to his Italian comeback.
This marked just Højlund's eighth match in the tournament's main stage, with six of his earlier appearances occurring during Man Utd's catastrophic group phase run in 2023–24. Despite the Red Devils' poor performance that campaign, the Danish forward still managed five strikes.
Nevertheless, Højlund had previously only found the scoresheet in Champions League losses for Man Utd. He scored during the team's 4–3 setback against Bayern Munich and also registered doubles in a 3–2 reverse to Galatasaray and 4–3 embarrassment in Copenhagen.
By finding the back of the net in Napoli's triumph over Sporting, Højlund has achieved his maiden goal in a Champions League victory, adding further disappointment for Man Utd fans in the process.
The Red Devils suffered their fourth loss of the current campaign over the weekend as mounting pressure surrounds Ruben Amorim, and they will be dismayed witnessing another player who underperformed at Old Trafford flourishing in different surroundings.
Højlund has now netted three times in merely five outings for Napoli, matching his output from his final 35 matches for Man Utd, according to Opta.
Rasmus Højlund's Champions League Record
Date | Result | Goals Scored |
|---|---|---|
20/9/2023 | Bayern Munich 4–3 Man Utd | 1 |
3/10/2023 | Man Utd 2–3 Galatasaray | 2 |
24/10/2023 | Man Utd 1–0 Copenhagen | 0 |
8/11/2023 | Copenhagen 4–3 Man Utd | 2 |
29/11/2023 | Galatasaray 3–3 Man Utd | 0 |
12/12/2023 | Man Utd 0–1 Bayern Munich | 0 |
18/9/2025 | Man City 2–0 Napoli | 0 |
1/10/2025 | Napoli 2–1 Sporting | 2 |
Former Premier League Rivals Thriving in Naples
Højlund wouldn't have secured his European brace on Wednesday without assistance from a former Premier League rival. Both of his strikes were set up by ex-Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who delivered an outstanding display to repair his relationship with Napoli boss Antonio Conte.
De Bruyne showed clear frustration when substituted in the 72nd minute of Napoli's 2–1 loss to Milan over the weekend, particularly after being removed from his team's ten-man defeat at former club Man City after only 26 minutes in a previous encounter.
The Belgian had converted from the penalty spot moments before his withdrawal at San Siro on Sunday, with Conte expressing disapproval of De Bruyne's heated response to the substitution.
"I hope he was upset about the result because if he was upset about something else he's got the wrong person," cautioned Conte following the final whistle.
De Bruyne will be pleased to have remained on the pitch longer in Wednesday's Champions League success, bringing his season statistics to six goals and three assists across club and international competitions.