"It was a balanced encounter with an opponent that knows how to close up in its own half to then hit you on the break," Spalletti was quoted as saying by Calcio Italia after the match.

"We were able to score three times and won, but Lazio also played very well and both sides know how to really use the ball."

Tommaso Rocchi fired Lazio in front early in the first-half before in-form Montenegrin striker Mirko Vucinic, who filled in for the injured Francesco Totti, equalized few minutes later.

"Vucinic and Totti can quite happily co-exist, as they already have done in the past," Spalletti stated.

"Of course Vucinic may have to be a little more on the wing, but that is not a problem as strikers do not tend to just stand there in front of the goal."

Brazilian winger Mancini put Roma ahead shortly before the break and Italy midfielder Simone Perrotta added a third 11 minutes after re-start.

Cristian Ledesma pulled one back nine minutes past the hour mark but that was not enough for Lazio, whose point tally froze at 10 while Roma maintained second place with 21 points.