Roma 1-1 Juventus as it happened

A bizarre game. Why did Roma leave it so late to look dangerous? They improved when down to 10 men after Vasilis Torosidis was sent off.

Carlos Tevez came up trumps again with a sumptuous free-kick and though Seydou Keita powered a leveller, it was not enough to nudge the home side on to a crucial victory.

The Old Lady are closing in on a fourth straight league title.

A point but how significant. The gap between leaders Juventus and Roma in second at the top of Serie A is still nine points.

Goal-kick smashed up field. Juve are not committing anyone. Kingsley Coman is up top solo now and this clock is ticking down...

Three added minutes. Can Roma save their title hopes? A long ball will roll out for a goal kick as Giorgio Chiellini shields it like a wild animal looking after its young.

A much better second half enters the final throws with everything on the line for Roma. They are brave and play their way out from the back to the left wing where Gervinho will run at the defence... he does... shoots... blocked.

Juve sub coming to kill the game. Gervinho had eight men around him taking that strike on, such is the visitors' desperation to hold on.

While Juventus have relied on the 15 league goals Carlos Tevez has whacked in this term, Roma spread scoring duties out somewhat and their top scorer has just eight in 23 starts.

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He is not even on the field now, so where the winner comes from is anyone's guess but Gervinho has a go and chases a long ball forcing Buffon to run from his goal and welly clear.

Rome houses over four million people and an entire country.

Yes you did read that correctly.

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As the Vatican City is classed as its own state and sits proudly in the city's heart, not too far from the snaking Tiber River, it is the only existing example of a country within a city.

For this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.

Copy and paste job. Booking, this time Arturo Vidal for too much aggression in his tackle and suddenly the game is being played in the Juventus half. Here comes Gervinho, 35 yards out he finds Juan Iturbe who has a whack. Blocked.

Siege. Both ends. Radja Nainggolan bangs one from long range for Roma but it's straight at Buffon. Easy pick up. Patrice Evra on the deck, clattered. Alvaro Morata off the field, subbed. Kingsley Coman on.

A reminder - a Roma winner takes the gap at the top down to six points. It has to happen if they are to win the league you'd think.

Juan Iturbe has come off the bench and seems to have a point to prove. He draws two fouls, first from Arturo Vidal and then Giorgio Chiellini, who is booked.

Great position to cross...

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Rishi Verma: Roma's passing has been unbelievably poor tonight. Really didn't expect this from a side challenging us for the title, tonight.

Predictable stuff isn't it Rishi?

Tweet us your views on the game to #bbceurofooty.

Can we declare a state of emergency? The well-kept figure of Gianluigi Buffon needs a hairbrush as he has had to do something.

The Italy legend dives left to palm a Kostas Manolas header around the post. A set pieces delivery posed some threat and that looks like the only home for the home side.

Roma are bringing on midfielder Radja Nainggolan and striker Juan Iturbe as they look for the something different they badly need.

Francesco Totti departs. His experience offered little against such a tough, well-drilled opponent.

Claudio Marchisio is booked for a swipe around the ankles on Miralem Pjanic.

This is now up to 26...

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And the one-man advantage on this occasion is telling already as Tevez blasts in the area to force a brilliant block.

This game takes a twist and it has been coming. Foul after foul, it's been petulant on times and Vasilis Torosidis tracks Arturo Vidal's run but can only trip him when Tevez slides a pass to chase. It's a second yellow and he is distraught.

The hour ticks by and Juventus work Stephan Lichtsteiner goes down the right but his cross is over the bar and frankly poor.

Miralem Pjanic, hook tackle to stop a counter-attack... booking.

Seydou Keita, to Adem Ljajic, a one-two with Francesco Totti but there is the cover.

Anoher booking - Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. A barge in the back. This referee cannot dish enough out now. Yanga-Mbiwa will be out of the next match.

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They look most threatening but I say that lightly as the attacks are sporadic. Roma would be better off pumping balls into the box and going over midfield. Why not abandon intricacy because they just cannot get near Juve's back four, let alone breach it.

Michael Krohn-Dehli has given Celta Vigo the lead against Elche with a sweet finish to a nice team move. Not good news for Elche who are perilously placed above the relegation zone.

Alvaro Morata is the next man booked. A tackle from behind and no arguments. To be fair to him, he's had a few boots come his way tonight and maybe that is his retribution.

Roma are like a young boxer with no answer to an older more experienced opposite number who quite simply refuses to be hit.

Slick on the counter, Roberto Pereyra is strong in his running and his burst created a 3 v 2 scenario, he goes left to Atruro Vidal who shoots just wide. A great left-footed effort across goal from the left-side of the area is agonisingly close.

The closest we have come.

Roma work the ball across midfield nicely but they are faced by nine Juve shirts. Sideways passing will not win this and here comes a breakaway for Juve...

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Francesco Totti may well be a servant to Roma having started out there in 1992 but for all the adoration, hype and his many moments of brilliance, he has just one league title to show for the hard work.

He and Roma have finished runners-up SEVEN times since the turn of the century. If the scoreline does not change here, another season of playing second fiddle awaits.

Ball in motion.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa with a woeful clearance early on but Roma win the ball back. Will they go more direct in this half or can they lift the pace of their passing?

If you need your European football fix on a Monday evening because the lack of action on TV is just too hard to cope with, check out or European football index for continental goings on.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti feels La Liga will be decided on the final day of the season, while Feyenoord have been charged for crowd trouble in their Europa League win over Roma.

Roma's Adem Ljajic is also in hot water for his involvement in "provoking spectators" in the fixture and will face a Uefa hearing on Thursday.

It is the first time Juventus have failed to have a shot on target in the first half of a game this season but will they care too much> Probably not.

Get through this second period goalless and it's a nine point gap with 39 to play for.

Some real blasts from the past as we read through your favourite Italian oldies. Tweet us on #bbceurofooty with the players you loved or hated.

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Jake Organ: The team of the late 70's, especially the hard men Franco Causio, Romeo Benetti and Claudio Gentile. Awesome moustaches!

Andy M: Used to love watching Marco Delvecchio. An old fashioned, physical CF. Would have been well suited for the Premier League too.

Matt Henno: So then. Top 4... 1. Del Piero... 2. Baggio... 3. Chiesa... 4. Peruzzi (pictured).

As you an see, the goalkeepers earn their corn in the opening period...

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Not quite.

Alvaro Morata wants to raid on goal but Carlos Tevez slows things up and Juve tap the ball around slowly. It's as if they are saying 'we will take this'. And who can blame them.

Tevez, Stephan Lichtsteiner and others join in, no threat but the ball is theirs.

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Adem Ljajic has the ball on the touchline and is faced by a wall of black and white shirts, they throw him off the ball and like gazelles spring into attack. Carlos Tevez is in the inside right channel and will shoot from 18 yards... deflected wide. An opening by his standards.

The graft on show by his side is underpinning all that is good about them.

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Juve boss Allegri is pacing his huge technical area screaming instruction as a series of throw-ins are traded. Roma do not have the pace to unlock or even threaten to unlock things just yet.. but what's this... Vasilis Torosidis pushes the ball past Patrice Evra and draws a foul and a booking.

Free-kick can be delivered from a good area...

So far, quality in terms of defensive set up, but who likes watching that. The other point of not is that Arturo Vidal has some hair cut.

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Gianluigi Buffon yet to make a save. He has barely touched the ball.

Roma are taking risks to some extent and often they find themselves with a defender scurrying to play a back pass while under pressure. This time it's the former Newcastle charge Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and he draws a nervous yelp from the home following by barely hitting his pass back to the keeper who runs out to slide the ball clear. Let off.

Goalless in La Liga at half-time between Celta Vigo and Elche. Like in this one yellow cards are on offer. Three in all there, just the two in Rome.

Daniele De Rossi wears long sleeves under his short-sleeved shirt and a big grizzly beard. This Roma stalwart looks like an explorer but is on thin ice. Booked for booting Alvaro Morata.

Morata is a tough man to keep down though and gets up to pull a shot wide from a narrow angle 30 seconds later.

Only one side have conceded fewer goals than Juventus in Europe's top five leagues this season. Who are they?

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Answer: Bayern Munich.

The German champions have been breached just 10 times, three fewer than the Italian side.

One of Roma's Greek contingent Jose Holebas swings in a hopeful ball from the left... Francesco Totti lurks but can't get there... Seydou Keita can but his touch is heavy and the ex-Barcelona man is crowded out.

Juventus threaten again down the flanks, winning the ball in midfield to race forward in a wave and Patrice Evra is galloping down the left flank to overlap... good delivery... evades every player. It only needed a touch.

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Leonardo Bonucci looks like he may punch himself in anger for a sloppy clearance. Roma though are not threatening the big defender and his side are tightly packing together to prevent space.

Giorgio Chiellini in the Juventus back line shows age is merely a number as he acrobatically clears.

Wow. My hat goes off to you Kostas Manolas. You must want to just scare yourself old boy.

The Greek is the last man as Arturo Vidal cross for the on-rushing Alvaro Morata and under pressure plays a crisp side-foot pass for a corner but it misses the post by half a foot.

One for the great own goals reel if it went in and you can see from replays that when he touches the ball his body shudders in fear.

That was the best area worked by either side though and Juve exposed Roma's left side.

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When Antonio Conte left Juve off the back of a record 102-point haul last season, their own fans were largely bleary eyed at the prospect of Massimiliano Allegri - a man sacked by AC Milan six months earlier - taking the helm.

They may not be on course for the points record, but one defeat all season - courtesy of a 94th-minute Genoa winner - hardly stinks of a dodgy appointment.

The Old Lady have four wins and two draws in their last six league games.

Now we have a booking. We probably should have four. Vasilis Torosidis is the offender for a nasty tackle on Arturo Vidal and he will now miss their next game against Chievo.

Alvaro Morata had a sight of goal moments earlier but saw his shot in the area blocked before it threatened.

Tight and bubbling.

Francesco Totti cannot be yelled at like this surely? I thought he was royalty.

He dumps Stephan Lichtsteiner on the deck with a late challenge and gets a full earful from the referee but no card.

Martin Caceres has long socks on which go up under his shorts. He may as well wear a onesie.

He gallops forward to find Carlos Tevez. Caceres is in a back three for Juve tonight and occupying the right side of the trio.

They will be happy with this start. No scares whatsoever.

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Francesco Totti, the old war horse stands with his arms in the air in the centre circle begging for the ball like Oliver Twist with an empty stomach.

He gets it and spreads the play but again Juve's hustle would put even the Artful Dodger to shame.

They win it back and lump one forward for Alvaro Morata but his chase is not rewarded.

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Why the gap at the top of Serie A?

Roma have suddenly become Serie A's answer to a mild-mannered child with a willingness to share.

In their last 11 league games, they have drawn eight, with sides like Hellas Verona and Empoli getting in their way with stubborn draws.

Rudi Garcia's side have just two defeats in the league all season against the sides either side of them in the league - Juventus and Napoli.

Juventus exude experience early on. Soak up some pressure, hoover up loose passes and spring. They do just that and Arturo Vidal wins a corner which gets cleared.

Roma will need to inject pace into their play to break down an organised unit. Juve more than happy to get men behind the ball.

Arturo Vidal swings a volley from inside the area which goes harmlessly wide but the threat was there from Juventus and had Stephan Lichtsteiner executed a better pull-back in the build-up they may have opened the scoring.

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We are asking you for your favourite Italian oldie today after Fabrizio Ravanelli was good enough to give the BBC World Service his time.

Tweet #bbceurofooty or comment on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Kindinu Real Kakumba: Fabio Grosso for his role in Italy's 2006 WC win, and Giorgio Chiellini for his outstanding defending.

Chris Tingle: Always disliked Filipo Inzhagi, but he always seemed to score. It used to wind me up big time.

Sachin Khoiwal: past: Pirlo...present: Pirlo

Robust. These Italians are meant to be well groomed, slick, packed with flair. Instead they start this one like a gladiatorial contest at the Colosseum.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa gives Alvaro Morata a shove with his forearm. Free-kick.

Lots of pressure on the ball early on. No inch given.

Referee checks each keeper, speaks into his mouthpiece, a puff on the whistle, we are off and Roma go after the ball like a moth to flame. Daniel De Rossi could be booked here... nailed Arturo Vidal... referee resists.

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Not many players can claim to have lifted the Champions League with the fashionable Juventus to eventually end up at Derby and Dundee.

But Fabrizio Ravanelli did and with such credentials, we therefore deem his opinion as sacrosanct.

"If Juve lose, everything will be possible," said the 46-year-old when quizzed on tonight's game by the BBC World Service.

"If they are strong enough to win the match with Roma, they will win the league. If they draw there will still be a little hope for Roma."

"I am sure Roma will try to play aggressively, Juventus will probably play like they did against Borussia Dortmund - waiting for their opponents to attack and defending carefully, trying to perform quick counter attacks with Morata and Tevez.

"They could be two lethal weapons for Juventus in attacking the spaces that Roma will inevitably leave as they will try to win the match."

Here we go then, flags fluttering behind one goal at Stadio Olimpico, a flare is creating a cloud of smoke, a few bangers make a racket. Francesco Totti has seen this many times before but will a man who seemingly has a life-long right to finish second in Serie A get the chance to go one better this season?

Juventus will switch to 3-5-2 tonight as a result of the absence of both Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba.

Claudio Marchisio will play a deeper role in midfield, while Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata start up front. The pairing have started four league games together and Juve won all four.

Fernando Llorente will do well to get off the bench if that form continues.

I can hear your mutterings. Why all this hype over Roma v Juventus when Celta Vigo are taking on Elche in Spain?

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Spare a thought for Elche, that is a mammoth journey across the country of over 600 miles. For their sake I hope there is the budget for air travel.

We will keep you up to speed with goals in Balaidos where Elche can pull clear of the bottom three with a win.

This fixture will be delayed until 20:00 GMT as like other sides in Serie A this weekend, both Roma and Juventus are staging a player protest as a show of support to threatened Parma.

Serie A's bottom club are on the brink of collapse, players are paying for their own transport to games and washing their own kit, and recent matches have been postponed.

If they do go under, it would throw up a nightmare scenario for authorities as league rules say all Parma's games from the first half of the season would stand, but all of those in the second half of the campaign we become a 3-0 loss.

To read more on this fiasco, check out our feature on Parma's plight.

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Tactically and mentally this meeting should be intriguing. What do you do if you are Juventus? Sit and hold a draw knowing it would be a big step towards the title? Or play without fear and underline just why they are where they are?

What happens when two sides relatively used to having it their own way have to adapt, tweak and manage their game differently under pressure?

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Roma have averaged 62% of possession in Serie A this season - a league high. Juve roll in second with 60%. They can't both have the ball in this one, so will the possession statistic prove key?

Juve had just 46% of the ball in their midweek Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.

Not since Julius Caesar has a man wandered through Rome with such power as Massimiliano Allegri has tonight.

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The Juventus boss holds all the cards, his side are immovable in Italy's domestic game, but his leadership is not one of boast or swagger and he elected to play tonight's meeting down in his weekly news conference.

"Roma have very few weaknesses and it will be a good game contested between two technical sides who this year have produced an important duel," Allegri said.

"After Monday's game we'll have another 13 matches and 39 points to aim for, Napoli are closing in and are capable of enjoying a great climax to the season."

As we have been hearing from Fabrizio Ravanelli, we think it's an opportunity to ask you for your golden Italian oldie tonight. Which player from the famous boot-shaped country meant something to you, impressed you or just did your head in?

I'll go for Giuseppe Signori, who seemed to score every week without fail in the '90s. Tweet us your favourite and tell us why on #bbceurofooty or comment on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

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That is a great kit by the way. He was top scorer in Serie A in '93, '94 and '96 but never won a major honour.

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Juventus will cope without injured playmaker Andrea Pirlo at Stadio Olimpico, according to the club's former player Fabrizio Ravanelli.

The 35-year-old suffered a calf injury early on in the Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday and is out for three weeks.

"Pirlo is a fundamental player, he is decisive for any team," Ravanelli told BBC World Service. "He will be sorely missed but I think Juventus will be able to make up for the lack of him.

"Let's not forget that Claudio Marchisio is in great condition and he can play in this role. He is a more muscular player than a clever one but still, Juventus midfield will be up for the game anyway."

There was some fear Paul Pogba would not be fit to offer Juventus his boundless energy in midfield and his club are mischievous as they tweet a picture with his shirt hanging proudly in the changing room.

He has not recovered from a thigh complaint and is among the subs. Andrea Pirlo is injured too remember. More on that next...

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AS Roma starting XI: De Sanctis; Torosidis, Manolas, Mapou, Cholevas; Pjanic, De Rossi, Keita; Gervinho, Totti, Ljajic.

Juventus starting XI: Buffon, Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini, Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Marchisio, Pereyra, Evra, Tevez, Morata.

Winning the Serie A title in 2012, 2013 and 2014 took Juve's haul to 30 league wins in all and if they triumph tonight, number 31 is surely in the bag?

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Three points at Stadio Olimpico would give the Old Lady a 12 point cushion with 13 games to play.

History says the Romans worshipped a pantheon of 12 Gods. They need the dozen on their side tonight if Serie A is to have life in the title race beyond the first week of March.

"To give 100% the boys need to feel everyone who loves Roma is behind them," said manager Rudi Garcia in his news conference.

Not since 2001 has the club from the eternal city got their hands on and cried tears of joy for a Scudetto...

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Juventus by contrast, need lip balm for kissing so many trophies in recent seasons and they are puckering up to do it again...

Rome really does have it all...

The Pope...

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Absolutely fantastic ice cream...

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And of course... Gervinho...

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But yet many in this city long for one thing...