Keita gives 10-man Roma bad-tempered draw with Juve

AS Roma's Seydou Keita celebrates after scoring against Juventus during their Italian Serie A soccer match at the Olympic stadium in Rome March 2, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

ROME - Seydou Keita cancelled out a superb Carlos Tevez free kick as second-placed AS Roma fought back with 10 men for a fiery 1-1 draw at home to leaders Juventus who stayed on course for a fourth successive Serie A title on Monday.

Tevez gave Juventus the lead in the 64th minute, curling in a free kick for his 15th league goal of the season, and Keita replied 14 minutes later as the teams woke up after a dismal opening hour.

Although the Malian's equaliser gave Roma a glimmer of hope in the title race, Juventus stayed nine points clear after a bad-tempered match which saw Roma defender Vasilis Torosidis sent off and nine other players booked.

Torosidis was dismissed after being given a second yellow card for clipping Arturo Vidal's heels in the incident which led to the Juventus goal.

"I'm happy with what we did in the first 70 minutes and we continued playing well for a while after taking the lead, but after six or seven minutes we stopped playing," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. "We have to start winning again away from home again."

Roma coach Rudi Garcia was much happier than his opposite number.

"Our reaction was exceptional, to be one man down and one goal behind, and finish the game like this means that we are alive," said the Frenchman after his team's sixth successive home league draw.