Napoli coach Rafael Benitez has praised his side's defensive work after they kept a clean sheet in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-32 match against Swansea City on Thursday.

The match finished 0-0 thanks to some smart saves from goalkeeper Pepe Reina and wasteful finishing from Swansea forwards Wilfried Bony and Wayne Routledge.

"I said beforehand it would be a difficult game, as the British game is more intense and fast-paced. We played well in the first half, but Swansea were pressing us well," Benitez told Sky Sport Italia.

"We didn't create enough chances, as our positions on the counter were not right. We ought to have done better in those situations.

"It is positive to get a draw here. Swansea are fast, they played well and had good chances, but I think defensively my team did a great job against a side that attacked from start to finish. It wasn't easy to stop them."

The return leg will be played at Napoli's Stadio San Paolo in a week's time.