Antonio Di Natale opened the 2008-09 season in style with a sensational brace as Udinese sank Palermo 3-1.

The new campaign kicked off in Udine with a completely revamped Palermo side and relatively unchanged Friulani. This was a head-to-head battle for a UEFA Cup spot and Udinese were without the injured Cristian Zapata and Dias Felipe, while the visitors had Moris Carrozzieri and Mattia Cassani missing.

The pressure was already on Coach Stefano Colantuono after Palermo's shock Coppa Italia exit to Serie C side Ravenna and there were anxious moments at the start of this match too. Goalkeeper Marco Amelia comically fumbled a harmless Gaetano D'Agostino snapshot and it squirmed inches past the post.

Fabio Quagliarella fired over from a corner kick and the goal finally arrived after nine minutes. Antonio Di Natale went on the counter down the left flank, got the defender to commit himself and placed a precise curling finish into the far corner. It was a very Alessandro Del Piero style goal with that bend to the ball off his right boot.

Simone Pepe should've made it 2-0 three minutes later, as he sprung the offside trap on D'Agostino's assist and was clear on goal, but Amelia got a hand to turn it round the post.

Palermo had timid attempts at a fightback with Edison Cavani and Bosko Jankovic, but it was all Udinese.

Di Natale has accustomed us to some fantastic goals and he scored one of his best on 33 minutes. He ran on to D'Agostino's ball over the top, trapped it and flicked a magnificent lob over Amelia, all with the inside of his left foot. It was absolutely stunning and he received a standing ovation from the Stadio Friuli.

Fabrizio Miccoli went closer than any Rosanero player until then as his powerful strike hit the side-netting. Miccoli then went on a mazy run and rolled across for Cavani to tap in, but the Uruguayan attempted an audacious backheel and missed the ball from six yards.

Quagliarella did not wish to be out-done and attempted another lob from outside the box, but Amelia was grateful to see it land on the roof of the net.

Cavani wasted another golden opportunity after the restart, as Federico Balzaretti placed a perfect cross in from the byline only for the striker to throw himself clumsily at the ball and prod wide from five yards!

Some desperate defending stopped Quagliarella meeting Gokhan Inler's counter on the day the Swiss international extended his contract until 2013. Samir Handanovic palmed a Miccoli snapshot straight into the path of Cavani, who again incredibly fired straight at the goalkeeper from point-blank range.

Di Natale almost had a hat-trick from Quagliarella's assist, but Amelia parried the finish with his knee at the near post. Quagliarella then turned a diving header on to the side-netting from a very tricky angle.

However, Palermo finally managed to open up the game again with 22 minutes left on the clock. Lukovic's clearance only turned Balzaretti's cross into the path of Mark Bresciano, who did not hesitate to smash in an angled drive from nine yards.

Less than 10 seconds later, Amelia flew to fingertip a Quagliarella dipping effort over the bar. From the resulting corner kick, Inler got between three defenders to nod in towards the far post.

Marco Motta's diving header skimmed the upright and a dreadful Amelia clearance left an open goal for Tissone to lob just wide from over 30 metres.