The night began well for Parma, as their makeshift strikeforce of Stephan Appiah and Johan Micoud netted in the first ten minutes to put them in front.
TSV stuck to their task and were unlucky not to at least get on the scoresheet before half time as Ned Zelic and Thomas Hassler hit the woodwork.
The German side got back into the game when Czech midifielder Roma Tyce beat Fabio Cannavaro before netting past Italian keeper Gialuigi Buffon.
Then in the final minute Markus Beierle converted Daniel Borimirov's right wing cross.
Roma rested Gabriel Batistuta and began with captain Francesco Totti on the bench against Hamburg, but still came through thanks to Butt's error.
There seemed little danger when Uruguayan international Gianni Guigou hit his shot from distance but Butt allowed the ball to slip under his body and into the net.
The result still leaves Hamburg with a chance in the second leg, but perhaps should have taken advantage of facing the weakened Serie A side.
