Napoli comfortably swept Slovan Bratislava aside 3-0 to win Europa League Group I.
The Partenopei qualify along with Swiss side Young Boys, who beat Sparta Prague in the other game.
Napoli comfortably swept Slovan Bratislava aside 3-0 to win Europa League Group I.
The Partenopei qualify along with Swiss side Young Boys, who beat Sparta Prague in the other game.
A win would secure top spot in the group, but recent poor home results in Serie A and the fact they were already qualified saw many fans abandon the Stadio San Paolo. Rafa Benitez rotated the squad, missing injured Lorenzo Insigne, Michu and Juan Camilo Zuniga, against group whipping boys Slovan Bratislava who were without a single point. Mariano Andujar made his debut in the Napoli jersey.
It took under six minutes for the Partenopei to break through, as Dries Mertens unleashed a screamer from outside the box that flew into the far bottom corner of the net.
Duvan Zapata should’ve made it 2-0, but ballooned over the bar from 12 yards, while Christian Maggio’s strike was well held.
The second goal did arrive from ex-Slovan starlet Marek Hamsik, who flicked on a Faouzi Ghoulam free kick past the goalkeeper.
Jose Callejon hit the side-netting, then Pernis needed a double save with his chest on Mertens and plucking a Zapata follow-up header out of the air. Gokhan Inler’s solo effort skimmed the upright and after the restart Mertens nutmegged a defender only to see his lob land on the roof of the net.
Andujar was all at sea on a free kick and ran out of the box to chase the ball, but the Kristian Kolcak chip was off target of an open goal. Mertens went on another solo run and a fingertip save turned it inches round the upright, while Zapata blasted over.
Giandomenico Mesto replaced Callejon in a new more advanced role as part of the supporting attack trident.
Duvan Zapata started and finished the third Napoli goal. He showed surprising pace to burst down the left and pull back from the by-line, but Jonathan de Guzman and Ghoulam failed to make the most of it, eventually crossing for the Colombian’s header.
Napoli 3-0 Slovan Bratislava
Scorers: Mertens 6 (N), Hamsik 16 (N), Duvan Zapata 75 (N)
Napoli: Andujar; Maggio, Koulibaly, Britos, Ghoulam; Inler, Gargano; Mertens (De Guzman 63), Hamsik, Callejon (Mesto 74); Duvan Zapata (Higuain 78)
Slovan Bratislava: Pernis; Cikos, Jablonsky, Gorosito, Kolcak; Hudak, Zofcak (Duris 62), Milinkovic (Halenar 72); Kubik (Gasparovic 87), Stefanik; Peltier
Ref: Stavrev (MKD)