Napoli Gain Comfortable Advantage in Europe League First Leg
Gonzalo Higuain, Henrique, and Manuel Gabbiadini ensured Napoli enter the second leg of the Europa League with a favorable advantage.
GOAL
Gonzalo Higuain was among the goalscorers as Napoli eased to a 4-0 win over Trabzonspor in the first leg of their Europa League tie on Thursday.
Goals from Henrique, Higuain and Manolo Gabbiadini did the damage for the visitors in the last-32 clash as they surged into a 3-0 lead after just half an hour.
Duvan Zapata then added a fourth to all but ensure Napoli's progression to the last 16 following a routine success in Turkey.
Henrique - making a rare start in Benitez's defence - opened the scoring when he made the most of a blocked Kalidou Koulibaly shot to produce a looping header past Hakan Arikan.
Gabbiadini then laid on the second for Higuain as the Italian burst through the home defence before squaring for the striker to finish.
It was then the turn for Gabbiadini to get on the scoresheet, as the forward scored his fourth goal since moving from Sampdoria.
Following a first half in which Trabzonspor failed to register a shot on target, Oscar Cardozo then wasted his side's best opportunity after the break – skying an effort over the crossbar from close range.
Napoli continued to dominate going forward as Dries Mertens won, and subsequently spurned, a penalty five minutes from time.
However, the Serie A side were not to be denied a fourth as Zapata seized on Jose Callejon's saved effort in the last minute of stoppage time to tap home and round off the scoring.
It leaves Napoli in a dominant position ahead of next week's second leg at the San Paolo, while Ersun Yanal's men look set to exit the competition.