Their supporters' raucous chants of "We always win in Rome" may need to be tweaked slightly, but Liverpool return from Italy today with a tricky job well done.
This hard-earned point may pale into insignificance compared to the Reds' European Cup successes in 1977 and 1984 in this arena, but this display was still impressive.
This competition now slips into a mid-season lull. With the pause in mind, the need to stay in close touch with the second qualification place was clear.
This match opened with Liverpool doing well to withstand two Roma corners in the opening 90 seconds. Perhaps more disconcerting was the sight of Francesco Totti in the home starting line-up, quashing rumours that he was out through injury.
He hovered menacingly behind Gabriel Batistuta and was soon flicking Francisco Lima into space down the left, only for Sami Hyypia to block Damiano Tommasi's shot.
Unperturbed, Totti soon played a neat exchange with Batistuta and freed his strike partner who lumbered into the area only to screw his shot wastefully wide. The effort was jeered; the Argentine had failed to score in his six previous Champions League outings this season. Even the best suffer crises of confidence, though he might have earned his side a penalty after crumpling under Jamie Carragher's challenge as half-time approached.
That would have been harsh on Liverpool, who had been happy to soak up the sporadic pressure and, confidence steadily swelling, should have rewarded their solid patience with the opening goal.
Carragher's punt from inside his own half looped over Jonathan Zebina for Vladimir Smicer, scurrying clear of Gianni Guigou, to volley at goal. The Czech's shot lacked the power to trouble Francesco Antonioli.
Emerson promptly forced Jerzy Dudek into a smart save, but the home defenders had hardly recovered their poise when Hyypia leapt to challenge Antonioli on the edge of the six-yard box.
The ball fell, via Michael Owen's shin, to the Finnish centre-half who calmly set up Emile Heskey, unmarked on the edge of the area, but he blazed wide of a gaping goal as caretaker manager Phil Thompson cursed.
Heskey deserved better, having spent his evening muscling his way feverishly among opponents, with only Walter Samuel refusing to have his feathers ruffled.
Yet, their Argentine defender's display aside, the home support were deeply unimpressed.
The hangover from Roma's first league title in 18 years was supposed to have eased. Instead, their side's jittery display was conjuring up nightmarish flash-backs to elimination from European competition courtesy of English clubs in the last two years.
With the introduction of Assuncao, Roma drove forward with more purpose from the restart. The Brazilian substitute volleyed just wide, while Carragher's challenge on Totti had Roma baying once more for a penalty.
Off the field, however, four Liverpool fans were stabbed in the leg. Three fans were stabbed in the leg before the game, while another supporter was attacked in the city centre after the match and was taken to hospital.
ROMA: Antonioli, Zebina , Aldair, Samuel, Guigou (Assuncao 45), Candela, Emerson, Lima, Tommasi (Fuser 79), Batistuta, Totti. Subs Not Used: Cejas, Zago, Cufre, Cassano, Delvecchio. Booked: Tommasi.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise, Murphy (Berger 61), Gerrard (Biscan 84), Hamann, Smicer (McAllister 63), Heskey, Owen. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Diomede, Wright, Litmanen.
Referee: D Jol (Holland).
