Napoli absolutely dominated in Turkey, crushing Trabzonspor 4-0 even with Dries Mertens missing a penalty.
The Partenopei had dropped down from the Champions League preliminary round in August, but impressed in the Europa League under specialist Coach Rafa Benitez. He was unable to pick Juan Camilo Zuniga, Lorenzo Insigne or Michu for this tricky trip to Turkey, but Manolo Gabbiadini received his European debut.
Napoli absolutely dominated in Turkey, crushing Trabzonspor 4-0 even with Dries Mertens missing a penalty.
The Partenopei had dropped down from the Champions League preliminary round in August, but impressed in the Europa League under specialist Coach Rafa Benitez. He was unable to pick Juan Camilo Zuniga, Lorenzo Insigne or Michu for this tricky trip to Turkey, but Manolo Gabbiadini received his European debut.
It was a very aggressive start from Napoli, as within two minutes they had a corner and Gonzalo Higuain’s shot saved. The pressure paid off, as Kalidou Koulibaly was denied from point-blank range on a corner, but Paulo Henrique nodded the loose ball over the goalkeeper.
Gonzalo Higuain doubled their tally by making the most of a Manolo Gabbiadini assist, rolled across so perfectly that Pipita only had to cushion it in at the back post.
Gabbiadini made an impressive European debut and got himself on the scoresheet moments later. The ex-Sampdoria striker showed fantastic skill by trapping a Raul Albiol assist with his back to goal, in the same movement spinning on a sixpence to immediately beat the goalkeeper.
It was almost 4-0, but Higuain beat three players only to fire his finish against the crossbar and Gabbiadini’s free kick was palmed away.
Dries Mertens was denied one-on-one by the goalkeeper in the second half, while Sefa Yilmaz nodded straight at Mariano Andujar and Oscar Cardozo failed to find the net from close range.
It would’ve been 4-0 in the final stages when Mertens was brought down by Fatih Atik, but the Belgium international stepped up and fired the penalty off target.
Duvan Zapata did get the fourth in stoppages, tapping in after Jose Callejon’s angled drive was charged down.
Trabzonspor 0-4 Napoli
Scorers: Henrique 6 (N), Higuain 20 (N), Gabbiadini 27 (N), Duvan Zapata 92 (N)
Trabzonspor: Hakan Arikan; Bosingwa, Aykut Demir, Medjani, Ishak Dogan; Sefa Yilmaz, Ozer Hurmaci (Musa Nizam 92), Fatih Atik (Salih Dursun 92), Erkan Zengin, Soner Aydogdu (Zeki Yavru 85); Oscar Cardozo
Napoli: Andujar; Henrique, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Inler, Gargano (David Lopez 46); Gabbiadini, De Guzman (Callejon 70), Mertens; Higuain (Duvan Zapata 80)
Ref: Bezborodov (RUS)
Missed penalty: Mertens 85 (N)