TENSIONS spilled over during the fierce capital derby between Roma and Lazio on Saturday night.
Former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi, now at Lazio, was caught up in the fracas alongside Roma star Paulo Dybala.
The pair clashed multiple times throughout the match as they tried to get under each other's skin.
And at one point they could be seen squaring up to one and other while grabbing each other's necks.
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But it was the aftermath of one of their battles that fans were particularly entertained by after Dybala employed a cheeky tactic to wind up Guendouzi.
The pair had just been separated by the referee when Dybala took out his shinpad and showed it to the Frenchman.
According to TNT Sports, on the shinpad was a picture of Dybala lifting the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 after beating France on penalties in a dramatic final.
The act was particularly jarring for Guendouzi who was part of the France squad that suffered the final heartbreak in Qatar.
Fans thought the creative dig was hilarious and lauded Dybala for his wit on social media.
One wrote: "THAT IS FLIPPING INCREDIBLE!"
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While another added: "Need more of this".
A third commented: "Top tier s***housery".
And a fourth posted: "Now that is s***housing. If he doesn't get his leg snapped, the game really is gone."
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Dybala managed to leave the pitch without any injuries in the end as he was substituted in the 79th minute.
But his substitution didn't stop him from continuing his battle with Guendouzi as he was later snapped celebrating in front of the midfielder at full time.
He had every reason to be pleased with Roma winding up 1-0 winners thanks to a first half goal from Gianluca Mancini - putting his side nine points clear of rivals Lazio in the league.
It's not the first time Guendouzi has got himself into trouble on the pitch the the 24-year-old well known for his antics during his days in the Premier League.
While at Arsenal he had a face-off with renowned wind-up merchant Neal Maupay in a match against Brighton.
