Match ends, Udinese 3, Napoli 1.
UdineseUdinese3NapoliNapoli1
Gonzalo Higuain scored his 32nd goal of the season but was then sent off as Napoli lost 3-1 at Udinese to stay six points behind Serie A leaders Juventus.
The Napoli striker appeared to push the referee and clashed with team-mates after a second booking on 75 minutes.
The league's leading scorer earlier drove home a fierce shot to cancel out a Bruno Fernandes penalty.
Fernandes saw a second penalty saved but made it 2-1 before Cyril Thereau added Udinese's third after the break.
Napoli also saw coach Maurizio Sarri sent from the dug-out in the first half as their hopes of a first league title since 1990 suffered a major blow following Juventus' 3-1 win over Empoli on Saturday.
Sarri was dismissed for protesting at the second penalty award, while Argentina international Higuain, 28, was booked twice in the space of 15 minutes.
The second followed an innocuous-looking foul on Felipe and provoked an angry response from Higuain, who had to be restrained by team-mates as he looked to remonstrate with Udinese players.
The defeat was Napoli's first in the league since losing to Juventus six matches ago.
Sarri said: "We can't take anything away from Udinese, they played great while we just never got to play at our usual level.
"The defeat will make us angry for a day or so, but it will also give us enough fuel for the next seven games."
Line-ups
Udinese
Formation 3-5-1-1
- 31Karnezis
- 75HeurtauxBooked at 23mins
- 5Larangeira
- 30Da Silva Dal Belo
- 27WidmerBooked at 80mins
- 7Badu
- 22KuzmanovicBooked at 38mins
- 8Bruno FernandesBooked at 79mins
- 17ArmeroSubstituted forPirisat 75'minutes
- 77ThéréauSubstituted forPericaat 84'minutes
- 9ZapataSubstituted forMatos Santosat 64'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Wagué
- 18Perica
- 20Lodi
- 21Andrade dos Santos
- 26Pasquale
- 34Iniguez
- 53Nassir Al-Tameemi
- 55Hallfredsson
- 88Matos Santos
- 89Piris
- 97Meret
- 99Balic
Napoli
Formation 4-3-3
- 22Vasconcellos Ferreira
- 2Hysaj
- 33Albiol
- 26KoulibalyBooked at 13mins
- 31GhoulamBooked at 25mins
- 5Allan
- 8JorginhoBooked at 62minsSubstituted forEl Kaddouriat 74'minutes
- 17Hamsik
- 7CallejónSubstituted forMertensat 58'minutesBooked at 83mins
- 9HiguaínBooked at 75mins
- 24InsigneSubstituted forGabbiadiniat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Barbosa
- 3Strinic
- 6Valdifiori
- 11Maggio
- 14Mertens
- 18Regini
- 19López Silva
- 21Chiriches
- 23Gabbiadini
- 25Reina
- 77El Kaddouri
- 94Chalobah
- Referee:
- Massimiliano Irrati
- Attendance:
- 20,162
Match Stats
Home TeamUdineseAway TeamNapoli
- Possession
- Home32%
- Away68%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away2
- Corners
- Home2
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home22
- Away16
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Udinese 3, Napoli 1.
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Foul by Elseid Hysaj (Napoli).
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Ryder Matos (Udinese) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Allan (Napoli).
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Stipe Perica (Udinese) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Omar El Kaddouri (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Stipe Perica (Udinese).
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Foul by Omar El Kaddouri (Napoli).
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Emmanuel Badu (Udinese) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Stipe Perica (Udinese).
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Elseid Hysaj (Napoli) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Attempt blocked. Manolo Gabbiadini (Napoli) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Marek Hamsik.
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Raúl Albiol (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Stipe Perica (Udinese).
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Dries Mertens (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Thomas Heurtaux (Udinese).
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Offside, Napoli. Omar El Kaddouri tries a through ball, but Manolo Gabbiadini is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Marek Hamsik (Napoli) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Dries Mertens with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Napoli. Conceded by Silvan Widmer.
