Inter Milan came back from two-nil down for the third successive match to snatch a draw against Serie A table toppers AS Roma in a hard-fought clash at the Stadio Olimpico.
The blockbuster top-of-the-table clash got off to an entertaining start as Manu Kone fired Roma into the lead with barely six minutes on the clock. The French midfielder completed his brace in the 37th minute, and the hosts were in cruise control going into the break.
Lautaro Martinez pulled a goal back for Inter 30 seconds after the restart and grabbed the equaliser in the 79th minute. Inter threatened to find the matchwinner, but ultimately, the game ended in a draw. The two clubs preserved their unbeaten start to the season and AS Roma retained their position atop the Serie A table.
It was an emotional night across Italy as both fans put aside club rivalries to pay tribute to Inter Milan and Italian Football Legend Sandro Mazzola. The late one-club Mazzola was a key member of Inter Milan’s all-conquering side in the 60s, clinching four Serie A titles and two European Cups with the Nerazzurri and leading the Azzurri to the 1968 European Championship. He was beloved across Italy.
Manu Kone Roma’s Party Started
The two clubs arrived at the Olimpico on the back of four consecutive league victories, aiming to pull one over the other in the race for the Serie A title. The match got off to a perfect start for Roma as Nahuel Molina flicked Paulo Dybala’s across the face of goal for Manu Kone, who smashed the ball into the net to send the home fans into ecstasy.
Yann Bisseck found himself one-on-one with Mile Svilar in the 26th minute but was denied by expert goalkeeping from the goalie, while Lautaro Martinez shockingly fired over an empty net from close range shortly after. Inter Milan came close to grabbing an equaliser again following some nice work by Curtis Jones to set it up, but Alessandro Bastoni’s shot rattled the upright.
The visitors were left to rue their misses as Roma doubled their lead in the 37th minute. Dybala teased another cross into Inter’s penalty area, and Gianluca Mancini poked it to Kone, who hammered the ball into the net a couple of yards from goal. There was a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review for offside but the goal stood. A brace from the French midfielder and Roma were in seventh heaven. It was a superb showing from Kone, who showed why Roma and Gian Piero Gasperini were right to refuse to entertain any bids to sell him in the summer.
He had scored only four times in 66 previous appearances for Roma, but he put on his finishing boots and became the fifth player to score a brace or more in the first half against Inter, as the Italian club took a commanding two-goal lead into the break.
Inter Fights back
The second half got off to a frantic start as Inter grabbed an equaliser immediately after the restart. Lautaro Martínez sent Marcus Thuram down the left flank and sprinted goalwards for the return ball before the latter returned the favour for Lautaro, who picked out the bottom corner perfectly to halve the deficit. Game on! Donyell Malen came close to restoring Roma’s two-goal lead but was denied by Inter’s goalie, who made himself big in his goal and produced a stunning save with his head.
Seconds after chaos occurred in Roma’s penalty area and their goalie and the crossbar saved them, Inter recycled the ball, and Yann Bisseck poked a pass to Lautaro, who took a touch to set it up and blasted it into the net 11 minutes from time. Comeback complete!
Inter managed to recover from another two-goal deficit, but unlike the case against Napoli and Udinese, they were unable to snag the three points. With this result, both teams moved to 13 points at the top of the Serie A standings, but Roma remained ahead of Inter atop the table due to their superior goal difference.
