Napoli boss Rafa Benitez hailed his players after their 4-1 Europa League first-leg win over Wolfsburg.

Marek Hamsik struck a brace in the rout.

"It was a spectacular performance. I've said for a long time this squad has quality, character and professionalism, all of which were on show tonight," Benitez told Mediaset.

"We put in great games against Roma and Lazio, yet played worse against Fiorentina and won 3-0.

"Tonight we combined the performance with the result, showing players who work for each other and this attitude can make the difference.

"We played against the second best team in the Bundesliga and these players deserve credit. For the performance and result, it was an excellent game, but I don't know if it was our best of the season.

"We still lack experience to control the match and not concede goals. We work on tactics, but can still improve."