Inter Milan recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Roma in Serie A at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday. Manu Kone scored twice for Roma in the first half, but Lautaro Martinez responded with two second-half goals to rescue a point for the reigning champions. The result left Roma, Inter, and Lazio all level on 13 points at the top of the table.
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Trailing by two goals, Inter Milan fought back to share the spoils with Roma in a 2-2 Serie A draw at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday. Two second-half goals from Lautaro Martinez earned the defending champions a point.
The fixture brought an end to the unbeaten records both clubs had taken into the match, while offering an early indicator of the rivalry between two sides tipped to challenge towards the upper reaches of the Serie A standings.
At the start of the season, Roma had shown the more promising form under Gian Piero Gasperini. A perfect start to the campaign — four victories from as many outings — had placed the team among the front-runners, with Donyell Malen's contributions in front of goal and a solid defensive foundation underpinning their form.
Roma moved quickly to apply pressure on Inter. Kone put his side ahead inside six minutes, timing his run to connect with Molina's flick-on and driving a finish past the goalkeeper.
The conceded goal drew attention to another tentative opening period for Inter under Cristian Chivu. Having trailed by two goals in their midweek fixture against Udinese, the title holders ultimately prevailed 5-3 in a contest that bore striking parallels to their situation on Saturday. For much of the opening period, Inter found it difficult to assert dominance, with Roma posing a persistent attacking threat. Dybala went close on two separate occasions to putting the hosts further ahead.
A precise through-ball from Curtis Jones found Alessandro Bastoni, allowing Inter to draw level in the contest. The ball struck the upright after the player attempted a shot from a tight angle.
Roma extended their advantage back to two goals just seven minutes afterwards. Kone converted from close range at the back post in the 37th minute. The linesman's offside flag overturned the goal, though a VAR check led referee Davide Massa to reverse that decision and allow it to stand. With that brace, Kone brought his Serie A tally to six goals for the campaign.
Prior to kick-off, both sides held a minute's tribute in honour of Sandro Mazzola, the former Inter and Italy midfielder who passed away aged 83. The squad donned black armbands throughout the fixture.
Chivu noted that adjustments were necessary at the interval, though he kept his dressing-room address private, choosing instead to highlight the second half's attitude and determination. He also described the contest against Roma — a side he held in high regard — as an entertaining encounter.
With less than a minute elapsed in the second half, Martinez pulled one back to narrow the gap. A lay-off from Thuram reached the Argentine, whose shot clipped a defender before nestling inside the far post of Svilar's net. Following that goal, Inter stepped up their attacking play and began to push forward with greater frequency.
Roma retained chances to re-establish a two-goal buffer. In the 68th minute, Malen found room inside a congested box and unleashed a firm shot, only for the ball to deflect off Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez's head and clear the area.
Inter came within moments of claiming all three points late in the match. Chaos in the penalty area drew a reaction from Svilar, who kept out the ball at close range, before Martinez struck the woodwork with a header under defensive pressure. The ball found its way back to Lautaro Martinez inside the penalty area after Inter sustained the move. Collecting the ball on his thigh, Martinez slotted past Svilar to register his second goal of the night and earn Inter a 2-2 equaliser.
Gasperini expressed the view that Roma had performed on a par with the opposition throughout the 90 minutes, telling reporters that both sides had done enough to take the win and that the two teams had competed on equal footing.
The result left Roma, Inter, and local rivals Lazio all level on 13 points in the standings. A 2-0 victory over last-placed Venezia lifted Lazio to 13 points on the table. Zaccagni converted a penalty to put his side ahead six minutes into the second half, with Noslin then extending the lead at the hour mark. The result extended Gattuso's team to four wins from their last five outings.
In other results, Cagliari beat Udinese by a single goal to reach 12 points, with Bologna and Torino finishing level at 1-1.