Napoli eases way into Europa League knockout stage

Napoli didn't need its full first team to score five times against Midtjylland on Thursday and book a place in the knockout stage of the Europa League with two matches to spare.

Four of the five tallies came from usual substitutes, including Omar El Kaddouri, Manolo Gabbiadini, and Christian Maggio. Those three players have just four starts between them in Serie A, with manager Maurizio Sarri electing to rotate his roster in European competition.

And it's worked. Napoli hasn't lost any of its four contests in the competition so far, popping in 16 goals while allowing just one.

This match was particularly ruthless. Napoli poked holes through Midtjylland's defence, and most of the goals were mistakes more than pieces of brilliance.

Take Gabbiadini's second strike of the evening. The Italians carved up the Danes as if they didn't belong in a top-tier tournament.

To its credit, Napoli has simply been unstoppable. The win extends the team's unbeaten streak to 14 matches in all competitions, dating back to its first league game in August.