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| Totti penalty earns draw |
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Juventus and Roma shared the spoils and the plaudits in a lively 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico tonight.
Vincenzo Iaquinta put the hosts in front in the 35th minute, but Francesco Totti levelled from the spot at the end of the first half.
The two sides were committed to trying to win the game to the very end and delivered an entertaining battle which confirmed they both have the credentials to challenge for the title this season.
Juve had the first chance of the game in the seventh minute when Fabio Quagliarella's pass sent Iaquinta through, but the Italy striker was not really convinced that he was onside and only half-heartedly chased the ball, which he was unable to reach.
At the other end, Jeremy Menez had a shot pushed wide at full stretch by Marco Storari.
It was a sign of things to come that both sides had good early chances as the game continued to flow from end to end at a high pace.
Iaquinta was only inches away from reaching Alberto Aquilani's cross which was headed on to the far post by Quagliarella in the 24th minute.
Juve then went ahead 10 minutes before the interval with Aquilani lifting the ball into the area and Iaquinta turning to volley the ball unstoppably past Julio Sergio from just inside the penalty area.
Roma responded well and Philippe Mexes claimed a penalty when he went down in the area as Giorgio Chiellini slid past him, but there was no contact and the referee was right to wave play on.
The referee was also right to point to the penalty spot in the final minute of the first half when Simone Pepe blocked Totti's free-kick with his arm.
Totti kept his nerve while those around him were losing theirs to convert the penalty deep into first-half stoppage time.
The pace was frenetic early in the second half too with Claudio Marchisio missing a chance to put Juve back in front in the 66th minute when he controlled the ball well with his chest, but could not guide it inside the post with his second touch.
Both teams understandably tired as the clock ticked down, but Quagliarella showed he was still fully alert mentally as he spotted Julio Sergio off his line and tried to beat him with a volley from 35 yards out.
But the Roma goalkeeper recovered to punch the ball clear and ensure his side clinched a point.
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