Billy Gilmour nets first Napoli goal as Scott McTominay conjures up moment befitting of Ballon d'Or ranking

On the night that McTominay was crowned as the 18th best player in world football at the Ballon d'Or awards in Paris, it was fellow Scotland international Gilmour who grabbed the headlines at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples by netting the opener in a tight 3-2 win over Pisa for the defending champions.

After being restricted to three short substitute appearances so far this season, Gilmour was handed his first start of the campaign against the newly-promoted side as part of squad rotation following the midweek Champions League clash away to Manchester City, where Napoli lost 2-0 after being reduced to 10 men in the first-half.

Gilmour took the place of Stanislav Lobotka in the heart of the Napoli midfield and made the most of his opportunity by breaking the deadlock six minutes before half-time.

The 24-year-old latched onto a low cross on the edge of the Pisa box and sold the defender a lovely dummy before hitting a left-foot shot into the bottom corner of the net via a slight deflection. As the former Rangers youngster celebrated with his team-mates, the home crowd chanted his surname in customary fashion after each time the Tannoy announcer shouted 'Billy'.

The goal was the first of Gilmour's club career. He never managed to find the net at Chelsea or Brighton with his only two previous counters coming on international duty with Scotland, firstly in a 4-1 friendly defeat to France in October 2023 and then in a 3-2 loss to Poland at Hampden in September 2024.

Pisa proved a tricky opponent on the night and they levelled from the penalty spot on the hour mark through M'Bala Nzola following a handball in the Napoli box, just two minutes after Gilmour had been replaced by Lobokta with his night brought to an end after 58 minutes.

Napoli restored their lead through a long-range strike from Lenoardo Spinazzola on 73 minutes before substitute Lorenzo Lucca fired into the roof of the net on 82 minutes - McTominay providing the assist with a sumptuous first-time pass befitting of his Ballon d’Or ranking - to put daylight between the teams.

Pisa pulled another goal back in the last minute through Lorran but the hosts held on to make it four wins from four in Serie A this season as Antonio Conte's men moved two points clear of Juventus at the top of the standings.