Roma's bid to break into Serie A's top three at the halfway stage of the season was thwarted in part by two video assistant referee decisions as they drew 1-1 with Sassuolo.
Eusebio Di Francesco was leading the Giallorossi against his former employers and it was another man to have switched to the Stadio Olimpico, Lorenzo Pellegrini, who opened the scoring.
After the break Edin Dzeko thought he had notched his ninth goal this term, but VAR decided he had been offside and, minutes later, Simone Missiroli levelled for Sassuolo with a well-placed header.
Alessandro Florenzi found the back of the net with five minutes remaining, only for VAR to intervene once more.
The point kept Roma two behind Inter Milan, who could only labour to a Saturday evening stalemate with Lazio at San Siro.
Lazio's Ciro Immobile won a penalty in the second half, but VAR overturned the referee's decision, with Mauro Icardi heading just wide for Inter late on.
Hakan Calhanoglu spared AC Milan from ending the year with a defeat by scoring the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina.
Giovanni Simeone's second-half header set Milan on a course to lose their third straight league match, but Turkey international...
