Roma Foiled By Juve Rearguard Action
ROME, Feb 10 (AFP) - Italian champions AS Roma shared a 0-0 draw with closest challengers Juventus at the Olympic Stadium here Sunday evening to remain top of the Serie A table by a single point from their rivals from Turin.
But Fabio Capello's side might reflect that they should have extracted all three points from this match in which Juve defended stoutly after being reduced to 10 men by the sending off of defender Mark Iuliano in the first half.
With an estimated billion TV viewers tuning in around the world this battle between leaders and defending champions Roma and in-form Juve, who were on a run of six consecutive victories, failed to live up to the hype.
It was a passionate atmosphere with 80,000 fans packing the Olympic Stadium and Roma made the brighter start.
Their Argentinian striker Gabriel Batistuta spurned the first real chance of the night when his header was saved by Gianluigi Buffon while their Brazilian wing-back Cafu was proving a real menace on the right flank.
Juve coach Marcello Lippi had surprisingly omitted Gianluca Pessotto from his starting line-up and Iuliano, usually a central defender, was finding it hard to get to grips with Cafu on the left side.
Juve's Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved, who received the customary hostile reception reserved for former Lazio players by Roma fans, did go close with a freekick that was deflected behind by Roma goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli for a corner but Roma were making most of the play and Batistuta then fired just over.
But as half-time loomed the game towards Roma thanks to the indiscipline of Iuliano. First he was booked for a foul on Damiano Tommasi and then minutes later an unnecessary foul on Cafu earned a second caution and thus an inevitable red card from referee Graziano Cesari.
Lippi changed things around at the interval bringing on Antonio Conte for Alessandro Del Piero in what was clearly a defensive move.
Roma skipper Francesco Totti berated Cesari, claiming he had been fouled by Juve's Alessio Tacchinardi in the penalty area but the Romans were finding it hard to break Juve down.
Now it was Roma coach Capello's turn to make a change but his decision to replace Tommasi with Marco Delvecchio was a clear bid to win the match.
Minutes later Batistuta fell under challenge from Juve's Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero but Cesari again declined to point to the spot.
Lippi made more defensive changes brining on defenders Gianluca Pessotto and Michele Paramatti for midfielders Tacchinardi and Gianluca Zambrotta and Capello again went for broke bringing on teenage striker Cassano for Cafu.
It almost paid off when his Brazilian midfielder Francisco Lima came desperately close to breaking the deadlock in the closing minutes but Juve held out and in the end will be well pleased with this point.
