Roma 3, Parma 1 (June 2001)

THOUSANDS OF ROMA FANS traveled to Naples the week prior to celebrate the club's third Scudetto. But it didn't come to pass. A late free kick by Napoli's Fabio Pecchia denied Roma the win they needed to wrap up the title there and then. The day was ugly: Napoli supporters hurled stones at Roma's team bus as it rolled into the stadium, and a couple of Roma fans were stabbed. Police fired tear gas in the stands to restore order before kickoff. Hooligans lit cars on fire and flipped over scooters outside the stadium.

It was an ominous day for the fans and Roma's title chances. They now needed to win their final game of the season to keep the Scudetto from falling into Juventus' hands. Luckily, they were at home, facing a Parma side that had already qualified for the Champions League.

"For Roma, this was the game of their lives, while for Parma, it was merely the final stop before the summer holidays," Paddy Agnew wrote for The Guardian.

The lineups

What the pregame formations looked like.

Fabio Capello's Roma mirrors Parma's 3-4-2-1 setup, with Gabriel Batistuta sharing attacking duties with Vincenzo Montella and a 24-year-old Francesco Totti. Brazilians Cafu and Emerson compliment each other well on the right side of Roma's midfield four. Parma boss Renzo Ulivieri fields the Cannavaro brothers beside Lilian Thuram and in front of Gianluigi Buffon in goal. On paper, it's one of the most underrated defensive lineups in Serie A history.

The match

Reviewing the most important plays, including notes about the teams and players in action. You can watch the game here.