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Ezequiel Lavezzi created one and scored two as Napoli saw off Udinese 3-1 in a thrilling and controversial clash with two dismissals.
The Friulani were out for revenge after their 5-0 home defeat earlier this season, but it was also an emotional day for native Neapolitans Fabio Quagliarella and Antonio Di Natale. Both sides were struggling in the lead-up, as Napoli crumbled 2-1 to Cagliari last week, while Udinese had one point from two games.
Giandomenico Mesto is out for three weeks and Gyan Asamoah on African Cup of Nations duty, while the home side was still without Gennaro Iezzo, Mirko Savini, Maurizio Domizzi and Andrea Cupi. Udinese hadn't lost at the San Paolo since 1996, winning their last two trips here.
However, they got off to a terrible start, as within 120 seconds Ezequiel Lavezzi had set up Marcelo Zalayeta for a right-foot rocket that Samir Handanovic fingertipped on to the crossbar.
Incredibly, from the resulting Lavezzi corner kick Matteo Contini's header again cracked against the frame of the goal.
After four minutes of domination Napoli took the lead, as Cristian Zapata accidentally pushed Ezequiel Lavezzi's cross from the right into his own net!
Yet Udinese equalised with their first foray forward. A long free kick was floated to the back where Simone Pepe avoided the offside trap to beat Matteo Gianello with a fantastic volley.
That goal seemed to flip a switch in the Friulani, who suddenly woke up and took control. Napoli were reduced to shots from distance, as Walter Gargano skimmed the base of the near post.
Zapata made up for his earlier error with a perfectly-timed tackle on a marauding Zalayeta. At the other end Contini used all his wiles to stop Quagliarella tapping in Andrea Dossena's cross from six yards.
Udinese really should have taken the lead on 32 minutes with a classic counter-attack. Quagliarella burst forward practically from the centre-circle and got into the box, but was excessively altruistic in rolling across to Di Natale, who could not reach.
The Friulani went even closer moments later, as Pepe's wayward cross-shot took the goalkeeper by surprise and thumped the near post. The move continued into a Napoli counter with Handanovic smothering the ball at Gargano's feet.
It was end to end stuff and on 36 minutes Napoli were reduced to 10 men. Another counter saw Paolo Cannavaro trip Zapata just outside the box, but the captain was furious as he may well not have done so on purpose, their legs tangling as they crossed paths. He was also angry as he claimed the referee had whistled just before he made contact with Zapata, giving a free kick for Grava's foul on Dossena.
Felipe accidentally had his header cleared off the line by teammate Quagliarella, then Zalayeta's blushes were spared by the offside flag after he missed an open goal.
Napoli gave former Brescia defender Santacroce his debut and the home side had a great chance to restore their lead with Zalayeta's head only glancing a Marek Hamsik free kick from the right.
Pepe hit a ground to air missile that flashed past the top corner from 25 metres, but the Udinese striker saw red in bizarre fashion to leave both teams with 10 men. He fell over a Hamsik challenge in midfield and the referee considered it worthy of a second booking for simulation, but it seemed to be an extremely harsh decision, as there was contact.
This time Napoli's tails were up and Lavezzi's thunderbolt skimmed the base of the near post from 30 metres, but Grava dived in with a crucial clearance as Quagliarella was inches away from tapping in Dossena's cross.
A goal was in the air and it went Napoli's way with a magnificent strike from Lavezzi. He had been without a goal for 76 days, but unleashed a right-foot daisy-cutter from 23 metres that slotted into the near bottom corner before the goalkeeper knew where it was.
A minute later he had completed his brace in equally sensational fashion and the San Paolo exploded. Zalayeta protected the ball and Zapata accidentally prodded it into the path of Lavezzi, who kept his cool to delicately lob a helpless Handanovic with his left foot.
Another Neapolitan, Antonio Floro Flores, came on for defender Felipe as Coach Pasquale Marino went for broke, but they couldn't get back into it.
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