It was a hugely-entertaining, dramatic and frenetic encounter on the Laguna, as there could easily have been many more than the five goals.
Venezia took the lead early, there was VAR drama when a Roma penalty was awarded and then revoked for Lorenzo Pellegrini’s offside in the build-up, before Eldor Shomurodov and Tammy Abraham turned the game around by half-time.
An acrobatic Ridgeciano Haps goal-line clearance kept out Shomurodov, but Mattia Aramu converted a penalty for a clumsy Bryan Cristante challenge on Caldara.
Abraham grazed the upright, but it was Venezia who went 3-2 up with a David Okereke shimmy.
Rui Patricio also made two astonishing reaction saves, while Thomas Henry’s volley thumped the crossbar.