With Udinese coming into this on the back of two consecutive league defeats at home and Napoli in suboptimal league form, it was somewhat surprising that the opening stages of the game were a tight affair with very little in it.
Both sides cancelled each other out, with attempts largely restricted to long-range efforts which troubled neither goalkeeper.
The first notable opportunity of the match was created by the hosts on the half-hour mark, as Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s shot from the edge of the box was parried away from danger by Vanja Milinković-Savić.
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte will have had plenty to say in the changing room at HT with his team failing to register a single shot on target in the first half.
Drama struck shortly after the interval when the Bianconeri thought they’d taken the lead after 52 minutes played. A long-range strike from Nicolò Bertola was palmed away by Milinković-Savić right into the path of Keinan Davis, who instantly tucked the rebound into the back of the net.
Euphoria quickly turned to dismay though for Udinese, as VAR disallowed the goal due to Davis being marginally offside in the build-up.
With the visitors playing well below their usual standard, Udinese continued to press forward and came desperately close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark, as Milinković-Savić produced a save of the season contender to somehow tip Jakub Piotrowski’s rapid effort onto the bar.
As the second half progressed, a dismal Napoli rode their luck as Nicolò Zaniolo wasted a glorious chance as he steered the ball wide from close range following a great pass by Ekkelenkamp.
Remarkably, Udinese then had a second goal ruled out following VAR intervention. Zaniolo drilled the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box with his left foot, but the goal was chalked off controversially for a foul during the build-up after the referee was asked to check his video monitor.
But with 73 minutes on the clock, the hosts finally made the breakthrough as a wonder strike from Ekkelenkamp from just over 20 yards out found the top corner.
It was no less than Udinese deserved, and the goal sparked scenes of enormous celebrations. With just two minutes of normal time left, the visitors should have netted a dramatic equaliser to break Bianconeri hearts, but the ball was lifted over the bar from close range.
In stoppage time, Lorenzo Lucca then saw a shot cannon off the post as Udinese supporters breathed a huge sigh of relief.
After securing a victory against the defending Serie A champions, Udinese have risen to 10th position in the table and will face relegation candidates Fiorentina away from home in their next league game on Sunday, 21st December.
Napoli stay in second position in Serie A, and will now switch their attention to the semi-finals of the Supercoppa Italiana on Thursday, where they will come up against AC Milan in Saudi Arabia.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jurgen Ekkelenkamp (Udinese)
