SAINTS booked their place in the Europa League play-off round after a 2-0 win away to Vitesse ensured a 5-0 aggregate victory over the Dutch club.

Graziano Pelle’s early goal and Sadio Mane’s late strike settled the contest at the GelreDome, as Ronald Koeman’s side progressed comfortably through the third qualifying round tie to move one step away from the group stages.

Saints will find out tomorrow which club they will face in the two-legged play-off stage.

 

There had been some doubt about whether Koeman would be in attendance here, after suffering an Achilles injury during a training session yesterday, but he was indeed present on the touchline, limping out on crutches, with his right foot in a protective boot.

Koeman made three changes to the side that won the first leg, bringing in Steven Caulker and Cuco Martina for their competitive debuts, as well as James Ward-Prowse.

Jordy Clasie missed out with a hamstring injury, while Matt Targett and Cedric Soares dropped to the bench.

There was little question heading into the match about which way the tie was heading, but any doubts about whether Saints would advance or not were completely wiped away in the fourth minute, as Pelle bagged an away goal to put the visitors 4-0 ahead on aggregate.

As the ball fell to the striker in the area, he turned into space, before firing a low, left-foot shot into the far bottom corner.

The goal put the contest completely beyond Vitesse, but they continued undeterred and were actually the more threatening side for much of the half.

Milot Rashica, who missed two golden opportunities for the Dutch club in the first leg, bounced a shot over from Lewis Baker’s corner when well placed in the eighth-minute, before Maikel van der Werff had a fierce long-range drive tipped over by Maarten Stekelenburg.

Valeri Qazaishvili should have done better after 20 minutes, when he was picked out in space on the edge of the area by Marvelous Nakamba, but he hit his shot straight at Stekelenburg.

In the 34th minute, Mane should have made it 2-0, as he latched onto a Pelle flick and knocked the ball past his marker to put himself through on goal. However, his low shot was straight at diving Vitesse keeper Eloy Room, who made the save, before captain Guram Kashia cleared the rebound.

The second half began in a subdued mood, and it took 13 minutes until there was an effort to speak of, as Mane played a one-two with Pelle before firing over from an angle.

Shortly afterwards, at the other end, Qazaishvili went on a driving run towards the edge of the Saints area, but saw his low, right-foot shot well held by a diving Stekelenburg.

The game was then interrupted by a series of substitutions, including the introduction of Jay Rodriguez for Pelle in the 71st minute.

The appearance marked Rodriguez’s first competitive action since April 2014, having recovered from the serious knee injury he suffered then.

Saints’ clean sheet was kept intact with 15 minutes left, as Maya Yoshida made a brilliant block to deny Rashica’s shot from just inside the area, while Denys Oliinyk failed to make contact with a low Rashica cross inside the six-yard box during the dying stages.

The tie was then rounded off in the 89th minute, as Mane sprinted clear on the counter attack, went past the last man, and planted low, left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

VITESSE: Room, Diks, Kashia, Van der Werff (Achenteh 72), Leerdam, Baker (Pantic 80), Nakamba, Vako, Brown (de Souza 69), Rashica, Oliinyk.

Unused subs: Velthuizen, Djurdjevic, Osman, Lelieveld.

SAINTS: Stekelenburg, Caulker, Fonte, Yoshida, Martina, Wanyama, S Davis (Reed 77), Ward-Prowse, Tadic (Juanmi 65), Mane, Pelle (Rodriguez 71).

Unused subs: K Davis, Cedric, Targett, McQueen.

Referee: Ilias Spathas.