The result kept Napoli on top of the table but their lead is now just one point after Juventus earlier defeated Lazio courtesy of an injury-time strike from Paulo Dybala.
Juventus, crucially, also have a game in hand -- at home against Atalanta in 10 days' time.
"There were a lot of positives in this game," insisted Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri whose only other league loss this season had been at home to Juventus in December.
When Lorenzo Insigne gave Napoli the lead from close range after six minutes it seemed the evening would be straightforward.
But Turkey's Cengiz Under levelled just a minute later with a deflected shot.
That set the stage for Edin Dzeko to carve out a little bit of personal history.
He made it 2-1 in the 26th minute with a header from an Alessandro Florenzi cross before he curled in a terrific left-foot strike from the edge of the area in the 79th minute for 3-1.
Diego Perotti made it 4-1 ten minutes from time after pouncing on a lazy clearance from on-loan Roma left-back Mario Rui.
Dries Mertens pulled one back for Napoli in time added-on but the three points allowed Roma to move into third place in the table, albeit 16 points behind the pacesetters.
- Back with a bang -
====================
Argentina striker Dybala marked his comeback after a month on the sidelines by scoring a last-gasp winner in Juve's 1-0 victory at Lazio in a perfect boost ahead of next week's Champions League clash at Tottenham.
Lazio, now down in fourth spot in the table, a point back from Roma, had already defeated Juventus twice this season in the Italian Super Cup and Serie A.
They looked to be hanging on for a point until Dybala, out for a month with a thigh injury, scored a memorable goal when he held off a Marco Parolo challenge before driving the ball past Thomas Strakosha in the Lazio goal.
Juventus will now travel to London for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash after a 2-2 draw in Turin in February.
"I felt good and got the goal. But we must improve our technique in London and come out stronger in the first half."
Saturday's game also saw Juve keep a clean sheet for the 18th time in their last 20 matches in all competitions, including in 10 of 11 since the turn of the year.
The only side to score against them in 2018 was Tottenham.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
