Roma are through to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, but needed extra time and an extremely controversial penalty to beat Empoli 2-1.
The winners will face Fiorentina or Atalanta in the quarter-finals on February 3.
The Giallorossi needed a boost after a series of draws left them five points adrift of Juventus in Serie A, while the Tuscans threw Riccardo Saponara straight into the starting XI just days after his arrival on loan from Milan.
Roma are through to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, but needed extra time and an extremely controversial penalty to beat Empoli 2-1.
The winners will face Fiorentina or Atalanta in the quarter-finals on February 3.
The Giallorossi needed a boost after a series of draws left them five points adrift of Juventus in Serie A, while the Tuscans threw Riccardo Saponara straight into the starting XI just days after his arrival on loan from Milan.
It took just five minutes to break the deadlock, as Douglas Maicon’s cross was flicked on for Juan Manuel Iturbe to beat the on-rushing Davide Bassi with a scuffed angled drive from 12 yards. It was his first goal since October, but Iturbe refused to celebrate after recent criticism of his performances.
Saponara curled off target and then his slide-rule pass sent Francesco Tavano through to skim the upright. Ashley Cole’s first start in three months did not last long, as he was substituted after accidentally being kicked in the chin by Matias Vecino, which left him rather dazed.
Radja Nainggolan saw several shots charged down, one by Massimo Maccarone’s elbow, but the referee judged it to be involuntary. The Belgian international hit another screamer, this time palmed out from under the bar by Bassi.
Matteo Bianchetti risked an own goal when deflecting a corner over the bar. It should’ve been 2-0 within seconds of the restart, but Mattia Destro failed to make the most of a defensive error and scissor-kicked over the bar when he had plenty of time to line up a shot.
Destro did considerably better on a Maicon assist moments later, his strike stinging the goalkeeper’s gloves, while Iturbe blasted over the bar from distance and a Miralem Pjanic daisy-cutter whistled wide.
Piotr Zielinski volleyed just off target within a minute of coming on and Lukasz Skorupski smothered a Bianchetti strike.
Empoli were increasing the pressure and it paid off with 10 minutes left on the clock. Simone Verdi sprung the offside trap on a Vecino through ball and kept his cool to waltz round Skorupski, depositing into an empty net with a snooker shot.
Leandro Paredes had an effort saved and Destro turned well wide, but in stoppages Bassi performed a double save on Iturbe from point-blank range after the forward combined with Maicon.
The teams were forced into extra time and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa ran a huge risk of a straight red when taking down Zielinski on the edge of the box. He was only booked, but the player would’ve been clear on goal.
Nainggolan’s strike was fingertipped out from under the bar by Bassi, but the goalkeeper flapped at a corner on 103 minutes and Iturbe saw his header denied by an acrobatic Mario Rui goal-line clearance. Adem Ljajic went to finalise a great team move, but Bassi was again ready with a fine save one-on-one.
After 112 minutes, the referee pointed to the spot for Zielinski’s sliding tackle on Paredes, but replays show the Empoli man made contact with the ball. Daniele De Rossi converted by sending Bassi the wrong way as Empoli’s furious protests continued.
In the final minute Skorupski avoided penalties with his crucial save on Francesco Tavano. Despite the victory, Roma were jeered off the field by their own fans.
Roma 2-1 Empoli aet
Scorers: Iturbe 5 (R), Verdi 80 (E), De Rossi pen 114 (R)
Roma: Skorupski; Maicon, Yanga-Mbiwa, Astori, Cole (Holebas 24); Pjanic (Paredes 81), De Rossi, Nainggolan; Iturbe, Destro, Totti (Ljajic 66)
Empoli: Bassi; Laurini (Hysaj 55), Bianchetti, Barba, Mario Rui; Vecino, Signorelli, Laxalt; Saponara (Zielinski 56); Tavano, Maccarone (Verdi 68)
Ref: Di Bello