Napoli keep hopes alive with convincing win over Shakhtar

Soccer Football - Champions League - Napoli vs Shakhtar Donetsk - Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy - November 21, 2017 Napoli's Dries Mertens in action with Shakhtar Donetsk's Ivan Ordets REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

(Reuters) - Napoli kept their hopes of Champions League progress alive with a 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Group F on Tuesday.

A brilliant strike from Lorenzo Insigne opened the Serie A leaders' scoring in the 56th minute, the Italy international jinking in from the left and then firing a right-foot drive into the top corner from 25 yards out.

Napoli's Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski missed a chance to double their lead when he shot over the bar after a defensive mix-up left him in a promising position.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Napoli vs Shakhtar Donetsk - Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy - November 21, 2017 Napoli's Piotr Zielinski celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

But minutes later Zielinksi made amends, confidently slotting into the far bottom corner after a smart exchange with Dries Mertens.

Seven minutes from the end, Mertens made sure of the win when Shakhtar keeper Andriy Pyatov palmed out a Raul Albiol header straight to the Belgian forward who nodded home.

It left Napoli third on six points, three behind Shakhtar Donetsk, before the final round of games which sees Napoli away at Feyenoord and the Ukrainians at home to group winners Manchester City.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Napoli vs Shakhtar Donetsk - Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy - November 21, 2017 Referee Damir Skomina gestures towards Napoli's Pepe Reina and Christian Maggio REUTERS/Tony Gentile

(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Ian Chadband)

Soccer Football - Champions League - Napoli vs Shakhtar Donetsk - Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy - November 21, 2017 Napoli's Dries Mertens celebrates scoring their third goal with team mates REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Soccer Football - Champions League - Napoli vs Shakhtar Donetsk - Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy - November 21, 2017 Napoli's Piotr Zielinski scores their second goal REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Soccer Football - Champions League - Napoli vs Shakhtar Donetsk - Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy - November 21, 2017 Napoli's Jose Callejon in action with Shakhtar Donetsk's Ismaily REUTERS/Ciro De Luca