Roma needed a late strike from Gervinho to spare their blushes in the capital against Napoli by winning 3-2 in their first leg Coppa Italia semi-final meeting which turned out to be a superb contest.
Goals from Gervinho and Kevin Strootman had given the Giallorossi a 2-0 lead going into half time but Gonzalo Higuain pulled one back with more than a little help from Morgan De Sanctis before Dries Mertens blasted home a vital away goal equaliser.
Both teams named strong starting sides with no sign of either taking it lightly and it began at a frenetic pace with Leandro Castan needing to put in a timely intervention to clear a dangerous ball that was drilled perilously across his goal.
However, after 13 minutes it was the hero of the last round, Gervinho, who solidified his ever growing reputation as a fan favourite. Having latched on to a sensational pass in behind the Anthony Reveillere from Francesco Totti (who else?) he calmly clipped the ball over an onrushing Pepe Reina before dispatching it into the empty net.
That goal gave the Giallorossi all the confidence they needed going on and Totti stung the palms of Reina after 20 minutes with a blistering shot from 30 yards as the defence refused to close down ‘Er Pupone’.
Lorenzo Insigne, who had looked bright for Napoli in the early stages, flashed a wild one wide of the mark as he looked to try give his hometown club a way back into the game and indeed the tie.
Just after the half hour mark, it was two for the Lupi with a truly unstoppable goal when Strootman picked his spot in the top corner of the net and fired one directly into the top corner of the net with Reina nothing but a helpless spectator.
His midfield counterpart Radja Nainggolan tried to do likewise with a similar effort afterwards without the same results as it ended up over the top.
Morgan De Sanctis then had to be smart on his line to clutch an Insigne effort safely into his arms as the former Pescara man tried to curl one in at the far post with only the side netting denying Maicon firing in a third before the break after a Gervinho cut back.
However, moments after half time, it was former Partenopei ‘keeper De Sanctis who completely misjudged the flight of a Higuain cross that took a deflection off of Mehdi Benatia and somehow sailed through his outstretched arms into the back of the net to give Napoli a lifeline.
Roma’s riposte was a good one as Adem Ljajic capitalised on a Christian Maggio error before letting fly from 25 yards but Reina got a superb right hand on to the ball to palm it around the post and that same player pulled one just wide of the upright minutes later as Rudi Garcia’s side looked to turn the screw.
Ljajic, Insigne and Vasilis Torosidis all went close with further efforts as the clock ticked down on a superb game and with 20 minutes to go, the Vesuviani levelled and indeed moved ahead in the overall tie.
The ball broke through for substitute Mertens and he danced away from Castan’s despairing dive before planting the ball firmly past Reina for 2-2.
With just two minutes left on the clock, the home side stole it back when Alessandro Florenzi’s threaded through ball was inch perfect into the path of Gervinho and he lashed in at the near post before taking off to bathe in the adulation of the Curva.
Their man for the big occasion struck once more for what may prove to be his most important goal of the season.
