Graziano Pelle among the goals as Southampton cruise past Vitesse Arnhem

Graziano Pelle was on the scoresheet as Southampton recorded an emphatic 5-0 aggregate victory over Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem.

The Italian striker opened the scoring on four minutes and Sadio Mane added to the lead on 89 minutes as Ronald Koeman earned a 2-0 victory over his former club.

The Saints will now face a play-off, to be played over August 20 and August 27, to determine whether they will have a place in this year’s group stages.

With just three days until his side kick-off the Premier League campaign at Newcastle United, Koeman named a strong squad for the match even though the Saints led by three goals from the first leg.

His brave selection paid dividends when Pelle scored a well taken goal at the start of the match – his sixth consecutive goal against Vitesse, having previously bagged for Feyenoord and AZ.

But that goal essentially killed the game with neither side having any real chances of note until Mane caught Vitesse on the counter-attack and slid home to double his side’s advantage on the night.

4’ - GOAL - Vitesse 0-1 Southampton! Pelle scores his sixth consecutive goal against Vitesse after the hosts fail to clear a free-kick delivery. Lovely, well taken finish from the Saints top goal-scorer.

7’ - WIDE! Vitesse now need FIVE goals to qualify and they almost get one of them as Caulker, making his debut, allows Rashica free but he fails to punish the QPR loanee as he somehow steers wide from four yards out.

11’ - SAVE! Stekelenburg makes a wonderful save to deny a spectacular shot from full-back van der Werff. The subsequent corner doesn't come to anything.

17’ - SAVE! Kazaishvili collects the ball on the edge of the penalty area, he has lots of time and space but disappointingly shoots straight at Stekelenburg.

32’ - SAVE! The ball falls kindly to Mane but he shoots straight at the goalkeeper from Room. What a wonderful chance to make 5-0 on aggregate.

59’ - JUST OVER! Nakamba shoots powerfully at goal but it goes just over the bar. A half-decent chance for the hosts but they have yet to record a goal over the two legs.

70’ - HE’S BACK! Jay Rodriguez - making his return to football after 16 months out - replaces the goalscorer Pelle.

74’ - CHANCE! Finally, some action - Stekelenburg is forced to tip the ball over the bar after a shot is deflected at goal. He is then booked for time wasting after the corner comes to nothing.

82’ - OVER! Well, what a story that would have been. Rodriguez, playing his first match in well over a year, almost gets on the scoresheet after unleashing a thundering effort at goal which just dipped over the crossbar.

89’ - GOAL - Vitesse 0-2 Southampton! Mane gets the goal he deserves after snapping the ball from Pantic's feet which allows him to run through on goal before sliding the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper.

Graziano Pelle scored a sixth consecutive goal against Vitesse Arnhem having previously bagged goals for Feyenoord and AZ.

Koeman is taking the Europa League seriously from the start - that is evident from his starting line-up – and how refreshing. Southampton can go far in this tournament and what a story it would be if they were to win a European trophy in May 2016 having been in League One just five years previously.

Graziano Pelle (Southampton): No one stood out for either side but Pelle deserves the award for the manner in which he took his goal. He will look to build on his 12 goals from last season and we should expect another decent season from the frontman.

Southampton: Stekelenburg 7, Caulker 5, Fonte 6, Yoshida 6, Martina 6, Wanyama 6, S. Davis 6, Ward-Prowse 7, Tadić 6, Mané 7, Pellè 8. Subs: Rodriguez 7, Reed 6, Juanmi 6.

Vitesse: Room 7, Diks 6, Kashia 6, Van der Werff 6, Leerdam 5, Baker 5, Nakamba 7, Kazaishvili 6, Brown 4, Rashica 8, Oliinyk 7. Subs: Souza 6, Pantic 5, Achenteh 6.