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Milan - A second-half brace by captain Francesco Totti saved Roma's blushes in a 2-2 draw with city rivals Lazio that pulled them level with Juventus at the top of Italy's Serie A on Sunday.
Roma started the 141st derby only one point behind Juventus, who can pull three points clear with a win away to high-flying Napoli in Sunday's late game.
But it took a second-half double from veteran playmaker Totti to secure a share of the spoils after Stefano Mauri and Felipe Anderson had given Lazio a 2-0 first-half lead.
"I said it before the game, Totti is a genius. This was his kind of game," Roma coach Rudi Garcia told Sky Sport.
"We came back from two goals down, and this is never easy to do. It's like being at the circus, you're playing without the safety net."
Lazio coach Stefano Pioli was quick to congratulate his players, telling Sky: "The lads had a great game. For the past two years Roma have been targeting much bigger goals than we have.
"The important thing is we went out there to win. We still have to improve on certain aspects. If you look at both of Roma's goals, we had greater numbers in defence."
Totti reduced arrears with a fine angled strike three minutes after the restart and claimed his second just after the hour mark.
It was Totti's 239th goal in Serie A, taking the 38-year-old to within 35 of Silvio Piola's all-time record of 274.
Totti, who is in his 22nd season with the club, celebrated by taking a cellphone from one of the Roma coaching staff and taking a "selfie" before returning to the pitch.
Totti's 11th goal in the city derby was also a record, and he told Sky Sport: "I had the idea during the week. After scoring my 11th goal it was an unforgettable moment."
WATCH: Totti's "selfie" celebration
