Roma were again rescued by a stoppage-time penalty, as Udinese had taken the lead with a Nahuel Molina stunner and also hit the woodwork with Jean-Victor Makengo.
The Giallorossi had Jose Mourinho back on the bench after a two-match ban, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marash Kumbulla were suspended, along with Udinese midfielder Walace.
Roberto Pereyra dinked it over Rui Patricio from an acute angle, but couldn’t steer it on target. Nahuel Molina tested the goalkeeper at the near post and scored on the resulting corner with a sensational left-foot curler taken first time from outside the penalty area.
Gerard Deulofeu went down in the box and was booked for simulation, having run into Bryan Cristante.
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Udinese thought they’d doubled their lead on 37 minutes when Jean-Victor Makengo hit a snapshot that Rui Patricio fingertipped onto the underside of the crossbar, it ricocheted off the back of the goalkeeper’s head, hit the upright and somehow went back out again.
Makengo again threatened after the break, drilling just wide from the edge of the box, but Roma’s first real chance was on 67 minutes when substitute Felix Afena-Gyan hit a ferocious strike just wide from distance.
The visitors came close again with Stephan El Shaarawy’s cross-shot forcing a one-handed Marco Silvestri save, then Lorenzo Pellegrini’s follow-up charged down.
If anyone looked likely to score in the final minutes, it was Udinese. Rui Patricio needed two reaction saves in 60 seconds on Ignacio Pussetto and Lazar Samardzic.
However, deep into six minutes of stoppages, the referee awarded a penalty for Marvin Zeegelaar’s handling offence. He argued he was trying to push Eldor Shomurodov and the ball over the top hit his arm at chest-height, but Lorenzo Pellegrini stepped up and kept his cool to convert.
Udinese 1-1 Roma
Molina 15 (U), Pellegrini pen 94 (R)