Roma are trailing 2-1 at home to Spezia in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, with Andrij Galabinov and Lorenzo Pellegrini penalties around the Riccardo Saponara strike.
The winners of this tie will go on to face Napoli in the quarter-final.
The Giallorossi needed a boost after their embarrassing 3-0 defeat to rivals Lazio in Serie A on Friday evening, while Spezia held out with 10 men for over 80 minutes in a 0-0 draw with Torino. Curiously, Roma and Spezia will face off again in Serie A this weekend.
Borja Mayoral pounced on a defensive misunderstanding in the opening 30 seconds, but fired over the bar from a tricky angle.
However, Spezia were awarded a penalty for Bryan Cristante’s trip on Giulio Maggiore, although contact was minimal. Andrij Galabinov made his first start since a serious injury on October 4 and picked up right where he left off, by finding the net from the spot.
Riccardo Saponara made his first start for Spezia and he marked it with a goal for 2-0. Marash Kumbulla gave the ball away cheaply on the edge of their own penalty area and Saponara curled into the far top corner.
Lorenzo Pellegrini fired wide and Leonardo Spinazzola’s angled drive flashed across the face of goal before the goalkeeper palmed away a ferocious Pellegrini strike.
Titas Krapikas also got down quickly to parry a Pedro effort, but Ardian Ismajli clumsily bundled into the back of Pellegrini for a penalty. Pellegrini converted it himself to get Roma back into the tie before half-time.
Roma 1-2 Spezia (Half-Time)
Galabinov pen 6 (S), Saponara 15 (S), Pellegrini pen 42 (R)
Roma: Pau Lopez; Mancini, Cristante, Kumbulla; Peres, Pellegrini, Villar, Spinazzola; Pedro, Mkhitaryan; Borja Mayoral
Spezia: Krapikas; Vignali, Erlic, Ismajli, Ramos; Deiola, Leo Sena, Maggiore; Agudelo, Galabinov, Saponara
Ref: Ghersini