Bologna vs. Napoli, Final Score 0-3: Napoli stroll into Champions League group stages

Following their 6-0 thumping at the hands of Lazio on Sunday, Stefano Pioli made four changes to his Bologna side with Marco Motta, Roger de Carvalho, Archimede Morleo and Lazaros Christodopoulos replacing Gyorgy Garics, Mikael Antonsson, Mathias Abero and Manolo Gabbiadini. Walter Mazzari is never one for sweeping changes, and there are just two to his Napoli side that despatched Inter at the weekend, Alessandro Gamberini and Goran Pandev replaced by Rolando and Lorenzo Insigne.

The early exchanges saw both sides attacking with pace and a healthy number of fouls committed in the midfield area but whilst Napoli soon began to assert their influence, chances were still in short order. The first one came after 17 minutes, Juan Zuniga bursting forward to pass for Edinson Cavani, who's cross-shot from the left flashed across the face of goal, just out of reach of the lurking Lorenzo Insigne.

Bologna came back into the match as the half wore on, unsurprisingly it was Alessandro Diamanti who provided the spark, forcing a save out of Morgan De Sanctis with a 20 yard effort before drilling a free kick through a crowded penalty box, only for De Sanctis to thwart him again.

Napoli looked hungrier in the second half and seven minutes in, they were ahead. Juan Zuniga fed Blerim Dzemaili who in turn found Marek Hamsik, and the Slovakian fired past Dejan Stojanovic from 20 yards for his 10th goal of the season and his 60th in Serie A.

The goal brought Bologna forward however that in turn exposed them to Napoli's fearsome counter-attack and it was from this route that the second goal came. Lorenzo Insigne played the ball to Edinson Cavani behind the stretched Bologna defence and he went through one on one with Stojanovic, his touch was poor but the goalkeeper clearly took his legs away and the penalty was awarded. Cavani, who has missed eight penalties for Napoli, made no mistake to bury the ball in the bottom corner.

Five minutes later and Napoli were 3-0 up, courtesy of Blerim Dzemaili's seventh goal of the season. Cavani skipped past two players into the box before being clattered by Fredrik Sorensen however the ball ran free and Dzemaili was on hand to slot home.