Roma capitalised on Inter's slip-up earlier in the day as they moved to within two points of the Champions League places with a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Sampdoria.
Alessandro Florenzi broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a point-blank header before Diego Perotti opened his account in a Roma shirt shortly after the restart.
Samp, though, made a fist of proceedings and reduced their arrears when Miralem Pjanic diverted Fernando's effort beyond his own goalkeeper. They were forced to withstand a late visiting siege, culminating in Mattia Cassani clipping the crossbar in stoppage time, to register their third consecutive win under new boss Luciano Spalletti.
Hosts press for opener
An opportunity arose for the hosts inside seven minutes when Miralem Pjanic nodded just wide. Alessandro Florenzi provided the delivery but, despite manufacturing space between Andrea Rannochia and David Ivan, the Bosnian could only direct his header off target.
The Giallorossi almost contrived to shoot themselves in the foot with the contest only a quarter of an hour old.
From their own corner, Florenzi miscued the pull-back and Luis Muriel broke with intent. Able to waltz past Maicon, the full-back duly recovered to provoke the Colombian into a wayward attempt from the tightest of angles.
Pjanic again worked Emiliano Viviano from a cross and, again, his he could not direct his nodded attempt beyond the Sampdoria No.1.
Samp were at sixes-and-sevens as the home side carved their guest open like a proverbial hot knife through butter. Diego Perotti, Pjanic and Mohamed Salah dovetailed to good effect on 20 minutes but Stephan El Shaarawy could not provide the fitting denouement to the latter’s cut-back.
The game lapsed into a period of stasis but the cries from Vincenzo Montella on the sideline when Joaquin Correa was wrestled to the floor by Antonio Rudiger spiced proceedings up slightly. The referee saw grounds to caution the Blucerchiati attacker but the visitors, encouraging, were growing in impetus.
It wasn’t to matter, however, as Roma struck first blood on the stroke of half-time.
Breaking from a timid Samp free-kick, the ball made its way to El Shaarawy on the edge of the danger area and when his effort looped up off Mattia Cassani, Florenzi was on hand to nod home from close-range.
If Montella’s half-time team-talk was intended to galvanise his troops, it clearly lacked the desired effect.
Only four minutes had elapsed after the restart and Perotti doubled his side’s advantage, profiting from El Shaarawy’s deft flick to volley first time beyond a hapless Viviano from the edge of the area.
Samp fightback
Fernando salvaged a lifeline for the guests just shy of the hour mark when his scuffed attempt deflected off the in-step of Pjanic and wrongfooted Wojciech Szczesny.
The midfielder surrendered possession in midfield on 72 minutes and Roma almost capitalised. Salah shifted the ball onto substitute Edin Džeko whose errant touch freed El Shaarawy for an effort at goal but the Italian stabbed his shot wide of the mark.
Roberto Soriano curled an effort wide ten minutes from time as Montella sent for Antonio Cassano with a leveller in sight.
Cassano sliced through the Roma rearguard on the 87th minute mark and fired towards goal but Szczesny was equal to his effort and safeguard three vital points.
Cassani, amazingly, managed to clip the crossbar with what was virtually the last kick of the evening.