Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Roma 2nd with 75 points, ACR Messina 20th with 26, 49 apart. Roma had been under-performing their position — 7th on five-round form against 2nd in the table. Per game in the league, Roma were scoring 1.95 and conceding 0.89, ACR Messina 0.97 and 1.82, against a competition average of 1.27 goals per team per game.
Defeat had not touched Roma in 10 games, having scored in 15 consecutive games. ACR Messina had gone 12 games without a win. The last-five ledger: Roma 9/15, ACR Messina 2/15.
The venue was Stadio Olimpico, with room for 72,698 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Roma led 2-1 at the break, before 4 more goals closed it at 4-3.
Goal scorers
Roma: Francesco Totti (10'), Mancini (19'), Francesco Totti (73'), Aleandro Rosi (84') · ACR Messina: Christian Rigano (9'), Christian Rigano (58'), N. Córdova (75')