Genoa stay top after a dramatic 4-1 victory over Napoli that saw three red cards, two penalties and Hernan Crespo's first goal for the Rossoblu.

Two of the dark horses came face to face at Marassi with the Rossoblu hoping to maintain their perfect record. Bosko Jankovic, Ivan Juric and Salvatore Bocchetti were sidelined, while Napoli lost Juan Zuniga, Amodio and Jesus Datolo. Sergio Floccari made his comeback to lead the Genoa trident. The Partenopei had won just three of Roberto Donadoni's 13 games in charge, but left Ezequiel Lavezzi on the bench.

Napoli poured forward from the start in a very aggressive manner, but Genoa went close with Giuseppe Sculli's header flashing across the face of goal. Morgan De Sanctis had his palms stung by Domenico Criscito's fierce snapshot and Salvatore Aronica dived in to prevent Sculli meeting the loose ball.

At the other end Fabio Quagliarella's overhead kick turned into an assist for the unmarked Inacio Pia', but Marco Amelia beat away the half-volley from nine yards.

Paolo Cannavaro charged down a Sculli angled drive in the box, while Marek Hamsik smashed wide.

There was a sudden shock to the system after 27 minutes when the referee flashed a straight red card at Criscito. The Genoa defender, who was born in Naples, was sent off for swearing at the referee after a challenge on Christian Maggio. It seemed fairly harsh, as the phrase is often heard on football fields.

10-man Genoa still attacked and Giandomenico Mesto drilled wide from the edge of the box.

The tension was sky high and on 37 minutes chaos broke out when Amelia went to close down Campagnaro, who kept going and kicked the goalkeeper in the head. Genoa were furious and sparked a scuffle that eventually saw the ex-Sampdoria full-back booked. Amelia received treatment for that nasty knock to the forehead in a long delay, but was able to continue.

He had barely recovered when Napoli took the lead. Quagliarella slide-rule pass sent Hamsik into the box and round Amelia, placing an angled drive into the far corner practically from the byline.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos dribbled past two challenges in the box, but was eventually closed down by Michele Pazienza. Sculli was fortunate to get away with a yellow card when he aimed a similar insult at the referee to the one that saw Criscito sent off.

Amelia smothered a Hamsik half-volley from distance, but from that goal clearance Sculli ran into the box and was bundled over by Campagnaro. It was the defender's second yellow card and a penalty, meaning both teams were now playing with 10 men. Floccari stepped up and sent Morgan De Sanctis the wrong way to equalise six minutes into stoppages.

Rodrigo Palacio replaced Sculli for the second half. After the restart Matteo Contini was fortunate to avoid a second booking for his tackle from behind on Giandomenico Mesto. From that free kick, Alberto Zapater flicked it on for Giuseppe Biava at the back post, who failed to make contact by a matter of inches.

Marco Rossi horribly wasted a fine team move with his intercepted weak pass to the unmarked Zapater.

Genoa took the lead for the first time at Marassi with an absolutely stunning goal from Mesto! He gathered 22 metres out and seemed to be lining up a cross, but unleashed a blockbuster of a right-foot shot that curled past a stunned De Sanctis into the far top corner.

Argentines Ezequiel Lavezzi and Hernan Crespo came on along with Walter Gargano. Biava risked scoring an own goal with his odd deflection on Cannavaro's cross.

A stunning one-handed De Sanctis save palmed Zapater's downward header off the goalline on 65 minutes. At the other end Amelia beat away a powerful Quagliarella free kick.

The third Genoa goal was an all-Argentine affair. Palacio went off on the counter from midfield and rolled across for the unmarked Crespo, who kept his cool to side-foot the ball in off the inside of the far post.

It was almost 4-1, as Mesto's shot bounced off De Sanctis' chest and nobody was ready to tap in. Papastathopoulos used his body to block Lavezzi's turn in the box.

In the final minutes Houssine Kharja sprinted down the left and crossed low for Palacio, who was tripped by Aronica for another penalty and red card. Kharja went to take the spot-kick and slowly rolled it into the near corner to send the goalkeeper the wrong way and consolidate Genoa's 100 per cent record.