Victor Osimhen scored another brace as Napoli earned a comeback 2-1 win over Udinese after Gerard Deulofeu splendid individual goal earlier on, to stay in the Scudetto chase.
The Partenopei had Lorenzo Insigne back in the starting XI, but missed Alex Meret, Andrea Petagna, Kevin Malcuit and Adam Ounas. Walace returned from suspension for the Friulani, with Isaac Success and Nehuen Perez carrying knocks.
Kalidou Koulibaly’s header was plucked out of the air, but Beto really should’ve done better when allowed a free header at the back post on Molina’s cross.
Insigne also nodded over the bar from a Matteo Politano assist, but Udinese broke the deadlock relatively unmarked from the edge of the box after a good passing move, allowed time and space to pick his spot and drill right-footed into the near bottom corner.
It was almost 2-0, David Ospina getting his fingertips to a Pablo Mari header on a corner, then Marco Silvestri also brushed an Insigne right-foot curler round the base of the far post.
Silvestri made an astonishing reaction save on the deflected Fabian Ruiz attempt, sticking out a trailing leg to push it inches past the post.
Mario Rui also saw his attempt deflected just wide and provided the assist for the equaliser, floating a free kick into the box for the towering header of Victor Osimhen.
Napoli poured forward and substitute Dries Mertens saw his volley from an improbable angle skim the crossbar, but Ospina had his gloves stung by Deulofeu at the near post.
The hosts turned it around completely, a good passing move down the right and Giovanni Di Lorenzo pulling back from the by-line for Osimhen to take it first time at the near post from six yards. It was his fourth goal in two Serie A games.
Osimhen thought he had a hat-trick, but it was ruled offside on a deflected Matteo Politano cross. There was another incident with a Napoli free kick taken too quickly, resulting in Di Lorenzo and Silvestri colliding heavily, the defender coming off worse.
Mertens tested Silvestri from distance, but Udinese went down to 10 men after Pablo Marì was shown a straight red card. It was perhaps unintentional, but also extremely dangerous and very late, as the Arsenal-owned defender ended up kicking Piotr Zielinski at the top of the thigh.
Mario Rui came close to a goal in the final minutes, as sent through by a Mertens assist, he first forced a save, then the ball looped up into the air and Silvestri flapped it onto the upright.
However, there was bad news for Napoli in stoppages, as Osimhen was booked for handball and will be suspended for the big game against Atalanta, along with Amir Rrahmani.
