Manu Koné had Roma two goals up at halftime, and Gasperini’s side looked well on their way to a statement win over Inter at the Stadio Olimpico. Lautaro Martínez had other ideas. The Argentine forward equalized with a brace of his own after the break, finishing from Marcus Thuram’s assist on 46 minutes and converting a Yann Bisseck ball in the 79th to deny Roma all three points in a 2-2 draw.
Key Moments
- 6′, Manu Koné opens the scoring for Roma, finishing from a Nahuel Molina assist to give the hosts an early lead.
- 37′, Koné doubles his tally before halftime, this time set up by Gianluca Mancini, putting Roma firmly in control at 2-0.
- 46′, Lautaro Martínez gets Inter on the board immediately after the restart, converting a Marcus Thuram assist to make it 2-1.
- 54′, Cristian Chivu makes a double change, bringing on Petar Sučić for Curtis Jones and Carlos Augusto for Federico Dimarco, reshaping Inter’s second-half shape.
- 60′, Gasperini responds with three substitutions at once, withdrawing Koné, Gianluca Mancini, and Nahuel Molina.
- 79′, Lautaro Martínez completes the turnaround, finishing from a Yann Bisseck ball to level at 2-2 and rescue a point for Inter.
Tactical Breakdown
Roma’s 3-4-2-1 worked well in the first half, with Koné operating aggressively between the lines and the Giallorossi generating 18 total shots across the 90 minutes. But their xG of 1.69 tells a more honest story: the two first-half goals exceeded what the chances on the whole warranted, and Inter’s 2.37 xG reflects a side that should realistically have left with more.
The real shift came at halftime, when Inter kicked off the second period without pause. Lautaro’s 46th-minute goal arrived almost before Roma had time to reorganize. Chivu’s double substitution at the 54-minute mark, moving Carlos Augusto into the left side and Petar Sučić into midfield, gave Inter a different shape on the ball and more penetration in wide areas. The 79th-minute equalizer, assisted by Bisseck pushing forward from center back, reflected Inter’s growing confidence in the final quarter.
Roma’s mass substitution at the hour mark, understandable given Koné and Mancini had given their all, disrupted their own defensive rhythm. Three changes in one window broke the collective press that had kept Inter quiet for most of the first half, and Lautaro found space more freely as a result. The Giallorossi still had chances to win it late, posting four shots on target and keeping two Inter saves, but could not convert a third.
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Verdict
The draw leaves Roma and Inter level on 13 points at the top of Serie A after five games, both teams having now won four and drawn one. For Gasperini’s side, two points dropped at home against a direct rival will sting given they led 2-0 with 45 minutes to play. For Chivu and Inter, salvaging a point from that position keeps their unbeaten start intact and underlines Lautaro Martínez’s importance when the situation demands it.