Vincenzo Iaquinta scored a late equaliser to earn Juventus a 2-2 draw in Rome in a phenomenal game that more than lived up to it's billing as the game of the season.
Iaqunita headed home in the 87th minute from a Giorgio Chiellini long-throw just as it looked like Roma were going to earn their fourth consecutive Serie A win of the new season.
Earlier Francesco Totti had scored twice for Roma to turn the game on it's head after David Trezeguet had given the Bianconeri an early lead. Alessandro Del Piero also missed a penalty in an action-packed encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.
First Half
Roma were hoping to continue a stunning start to the season which had seen them win all five of their competitive games without conceding a goal. Coach Luciano Spalletti named the same team that were so impressive in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev in midweek.
Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri lived up to his 'tinkerman' tag by unleashing an attacking 4-3-3 formation with Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta upfront.
Zdenek Grygera returned from injury to play at right-back but the Bianconeri were without the injured Mauro Camoranesi, Marco Marchionni, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Sergio Almiron and the suspended Jonathan Zebina.
Roma started strongly and created the first big chance of the game on 10 minutes, when Francesco Totti put Marco Cassetti through with a fantastic reverse through-ball and Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon had to pull off a superb save to turn his shot around the post.
Juventus hit back immediately and were unlucky when Doni's flap at an Iaquinta cross fell kindly to a Roma defender. Their misfortune did not last long as Juventus surprisingly took the lead on 16 minutes. Good work by Del Piero released Iaquinta whose cross found Trezeguet's bullet header from eight yards. It was the Frenchman's 100th goal in Serie A.
Roma tried to respond and De Rossi's shot from the edge of the box was deflected into the arms of Buffon. Amantino Mancini was also booked for simulation after trying to con the referee into giving a penalty.
However Juventus were close to extending their lead when a superb free-kick from Del Piero finished just inches over the bar. Doni was rooted to the spot. Spalletti was then forced into a change after Cassetti pulled up with an injury and the right-back made way for ex-Real Madrid man Cicinho.
Within 60 seconds of the Brazilian's introduction, Roma had drawn level through their talismanic captain Totti. Domenico Criscito demonstrated all his inexperience by getting too tight to the forward and Totti spun him easily before curling the ball delightfully past Buffon.
Five minutes later Roma were in front. Again Totti was the scorer. Mancini found space down the left and his cross ricocheted into the path of Aquilani whose shot was superbly saved by Buffon. The world's number one goalkeeper could do nothing on Totti's follow up however. Again Criscito was to blame for the goal as he allowed Aquilani to get goal-side of him. The youngster was having a dreadful afternoon.
Juventus showed their fighting spirit and nearly got back on level terms immediately. Iaquinta's knock-down found Del Piero whose volley was brilliantly parried around the post by Doni. In first-half injury time The Golden Boy's free-kick caused all kinds of problems in the Roma area and Nedved's flick-on was deflected just wide. Nicola Legrottaglie replaced the disastrous Criscito at half-time as Ranieri aimed to shore things up in defence.
Second Half
Within four minutes of the second-half the Bianconeri wasted a golden opportunity to level the scores. Nedved was felled in the area by a combination of Cicinho and De Rossi and referee Emidio Morganti pointed to the spot. Del Piero stepped up but quite incredibly blazed well over the bar. It was most uncharacteristic of the forward, who is renowned as a penalty-kick specialist.
Roma should have made Del Piero pay for his miss on 51 minutes but after good work by Rodrigo Taddei, Perrotta contrived to fire over an open goal.
Juventus were then dealt a massive blow when star defender Jorge Andrade was stretchered off with an injury and replaced by veteran Alessandro Birindelli. This left the Bianconeri with the rather shaky-looking central defence partnership of Birindelli and Legrottaglie.
Within a minute of the change Juventus again nearly fell further behind. Totti's thunderbolt of a free-kick was parried by Buffon and the keeper then got up to make a stunning follow-up save on Mancini.
Roma were by now completely dominant but instead of trying to push on and look for a third goal they made the mistake of keeping possession and merely controlling the game in midfield. Nevertheless on 79 minutes, Perrotta again missed an excellent chance. Cicinho's cross found the ex-Chievo man completely unmarked in the middle but he headed wide.
Juventus were looking like a tired and beaten team with only Iaquinta, who had been impressive all game, showing any kind of spark. With three minutes left Roma were made to pay for taking their foot off the gas as Iaquinta silenced the Olimpico with a goal completely out of the blue. A long throw from Chiellini looked harmless enough but the ex-Udinese striker got in front of Cicinho and looped a header over the stranded Doni. What a game!
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