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Napoli 4 Benfica 2: Mertens bags two as Napoli run riot

Napoli consolidated their position at the top of Group B as goals from Marek Hamsik, Arkadiusz Milik and a Dries Mertens double secured an impressive 4-2 victory over Benfica at Stadio San Paolo.

Maurizio Sarri's side were allowed to run riot at the start of the second half, scoring three goals in the space of just seven minutes to turn what had been a closely-fought contest into something of a rout.

The victory extends Napoli's unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions, while for Benfica, it was a first defeat of the season.

The result also maintains Napoli's 100 per cent start to their Champions League campaign, while Rui Vitoria's men are still searching for their first win having been held at home by Besiktas on matchday one.

The tone for an entertaining first half was set in the opening minute when Milik latched on to a fine long ball from Ghoulam but Julio Cesar comfortably gathered the Pole's toe-poke finish.

But it was the home side who took the lead on 20 minutes as Hamsik took advantage of the visitors' failure to position a man on the near post by meeting Ghoulam's pinpoint corner and glancing a header past Cesar.

Milik came close to doubling his side's advantage just short of the half-hour, narrowly failing to slide home a low free-kick whipped into the box by Jorginho.