Lavezzi put Napoli in front after just two minutes before Francesco Totti equalised with a perfectly taken penalty on the half-hour mark.

Simone Perrotta was on hand two minutes before the break to grab Roma's second, while Daniele De Rossi and David Pizarro both scored for the Giallorossi in a frantic second half.

But goals from Marek Hamsik, Walter Garagano and Marcelo Zalayeta after the break ensured Napoli returned from the capital with a share of the spoils.

The first Derby del Sud meeting for seven years got off to a pulsating start when Zalayeta deflected a free-kick into the path of Lavezzi for the Argentinian to fire home and start the goal fest.

But Roma swiftly put Napoli on the back foot and the Azzurri defence found themselves under a lot of pressure.

Totti almost equalised on 23 minutes but his stunning free-kick from 30 yards out flew inches above the crossbar.

But seven minutes later, the hosts were level.

Paolo Cannavaro was judged to have fouled David Pizarro in the area and Totti duly converted the penalty.

Roma took charge of the game and deservedly went in front in the 43rd minute.

Totti's shot was cleared by Gennaro Iezzo, but only as far as Perrotta who fired his side into the lead.

It took Napoli just one minute of the second half to find the equaliser.

Zalayeta deflected Mirko Savini's cross into the path of Hamsik, whose rocket of a shot flew into the back of the net.

And they almost took the lead five minutes later but Hamsik's shot from outside the area went just wide of the post

A minute later it was Roma who restored their lead when De Rossi unleashed a stunning 30-yard shot which Iezzo failed to get to in time.

The Azzurri were not to be defeated, though, and Garagano put the visitors back on level terms on 65 minutes with a 25-yard screamer.

Seconds later Lavezzi missed a great chance to fire his side into the lead again, crashing his shot against the crossbar from 10 yards.

With 10 minutes remaining, Roma must have thought they had sealed the points when David Pizarro's free-kick hit Gyorgy Garics' heel, and the deflection was enough to deceive Iezzo.

But there was still time for Napoli to claw their way back from a one-goal deficit for the third time in the match.

Zalayeta rose above the Roma defence to head in Hamsik's free-kick four minutes later to send the travelling support wild.

The Azzurri could even have won it in injury time, but Emanuele Calaio's header was easily cleared by the Roma defence.