This is one of my favorite openings, and THIS
is a famous trap I have used, even several times on SAME opponent! If my opponent refutes it, I play the Ponziani instead.
What if you rearranged the back rank and played fischerrandom? Would that pattern work?
Hm. What I described wasn't that disaster with Nxe5 Nxe4 (just 4. Qe2 is good) but:
And I agree, 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 isn't easily punishable if black knows what he's up to... even though it's so provocative.