Rome, May 7 (IANS): Napoli made sure they finished third in Serie A and qualified for the Champions League play-off after they beat 10-man Cagliari 3-0.
Dries Mertens broke the deadlock from the penalty spot (33rd minute) Tuesday. Goran Napoli doubled the lead (43rd) when Pandev scored with an easy tap-in after a perfect pass from Jose Callejon, reports Xinhua.
Silvestri conceded a penalty and saw red nine minutes after the restart when he fouled Pandev just before the hour mark. But Marek Hamsik crashed his effort against the crossbar.
It did not take long for Napoli to strike again. Vlada Avramov was unable to hold onto Pandev's powerful strike and Blerim Dzemaili pounced on the loose ball and slotted home from close range.
The win has lifted Napoli 11 points clear of nearest rivals Fiorentina with two games remaining. Cagliari, who had won their previous two league games, have dropped to 15th place in the standings.