Napoli have secured a 2-0 win against a hapless Parma side in Thursday's Serie A clash at San Paolo, with Dries Mertens and Duvan Zapata scoring the goals for the high-flying Partenopei.

© Getty Images

The hosts began on the front foot as Jose Callejon latched on to Mertens's ball to strike a ball goalward, but the effort flew wide.

Zapata then opened the scoring in the 19th minute by tucking the ball into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.

Napoli continued to push forward and create chances, while all Parma could offer in the early stages was an Antonio Cassano effort from 35 yards that posed little danger.

The Partenopei went on to double their lead on the half-hour mark when Massimo Gobbi conceded a penalty in the Parma box.

Mertens make no mistake from the spot, smashing the ball into the top-right corner for his side's second goal.

It took a while for the second half to properly kick into gear, with play broken up by niggly tackles and fouls, the first effort not coming until just before the hour from Faouzi Ghoulam's awkward shot from long range.

A minute later, Zapata was next to try an effort which was saved by Mirante, before Callejon came close with a close-range shot moments later.

The game continued to be one-way traffic throughout the duration of the 90 minutes, with the visitors failing to muster a single effort on goal.

The result means that Napoli stay third in Serie A and in contention for a Champions League place, while Parma continue to languish at the bottom of the table with a mere six points from 16 games.