The result also brought both teams’ perfect starts to the season to an end. Roma and Inter had each won their opening four league matches before meeting in Rome. After five rounds, both now sit on 13 points, with Roma remaining top on goal difference.
Gasperini brings Koné back into the starting XI
Gian Piero Gasperini made two changes from the 2-0 win away to Torino. Manu Koné returned to central midfield in place of Niccolò Pisilli, while Wesley started on the left instead of Emanuele Lulli. Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen once again formed the front three.
Inter coach Cristian Chivu made several changes following the chaotic 5-3 win over Udinese. The injured John Stones was unavailable, with Yann Bisseck coming into the back three. Federico Dimarco started on the left, Curtis Jones in midfield and Lautaro returned to partner Marcus Thuram in attack. Despite a few absences, Inter therefore fielded a very attack-minded side.
Koné rewards Roma’s aggressive start
Roma made by far the better start. Gasperini’s side defended on the front foot, won a high number of second balls and looked to attack vertically immediately after regaining possession. Koné was particularly dangerous with his forward runs from central midfield into the space in front of Inter’s defence.
That approach paid off after just six minutes. Nahuel Molina switched play to Dybala and continued his run. The Argentine then delivered a cross, Molina headed the ball back into the danger area and Koné arrived from deep to finish with his right foot for the opener.
The move highlighted one of Inter’s main problems in the first half. The Nerazzurri struggled to track Roma’s midfield runners. Zielinski and Jones found it difficult to apply pressure to the ball while also controlling the players breaking beyond them.
Roma remained the more dangerous side. Dybala sent two efforts narrowly wide, while Inter threatened only sporadically. Bisseck had one promising chance after a forward run but failed to control the ball cleanly at the decisive moment, while Bastoni also hit the post from a difficult angle.
Second Koné goal gives Roma a commanding lead
Roma doubled their advantage in the 37th minute. Dybala delivered from the flank, Gianluca Mancini attacked the cross and Koné reacted quickest at the far post to make it 2-0.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review. Koné had now scored from his two best shooting positions and capped an outstanding first half.
The numbers also reflected Roma’s superiority. The hosts had 11 attempts before the break compared with only three from Inter. Roma also held the advantage in xG at 1.25 to 0.88. More important than possession itself, however, was the way Gasperini’s side attacked after turnovers and exploited the spaces between Inter’s midfield and defence.
Lautaro brings Inter straight back into the game
The momentum shifted almost immediately after half-time. Inter came out with far more aggression and needed only 51 seconds to pull one back. Thuram broke down the flank and found Lautaro, who finished low to make it 2-1.
The quick goal was crucial for Inter. The visitors pushed their wide players higher, used the width of the pitch more consistently and forced Roma deeper into their own half. Chivu reinforced that approach in the 54th minute by introducing Carlos Augusto and Petar Sučić.
Inter now created danger much more regularly from wide areas. Thuram narrowly missed after a Carlos Augusto delivery, while Mile Svilar soon had to save from Andy Diouf.
Roma, meanwhile, gradually lost the control they had enjoyed before the break. Koné’s substitution was particularly significant, as the hosts lost both dynamism and an important outlet in midfield. The Frenchman had not only scored twice but had also helped Roma play through Inter’s pressure with his carrying and movement.
Inter increase the pressure – Lautaro strikes again
By the closing stages, an equaliser felt increasingly likely. Inter were winning more direct duels and began to pin Roma back around their own penalty area for longer spells.
The 2-2 arrived in the 79th minute. Svilar first saved a Thuram header from a corner. Lautaro then struck the rebound against the crossbar, but Roma failed to clear the danger. After several touches inside the box, the ball eventually fell back to the Inter captain, who finished decisively at the second attempt.
Lautaro effectively became Koné’s counterpart. The Argentine finished with six shots and was constantly involved in the second half. Both scorers defined the period in which their respective teams were at their best.
Inter shift the balance after the break
Over the full 90 minutes, the 2-2 was a fair reflection of the contest. Roma actually finished with slightly more attempts overall, but Inter tested the goalkeeper more often and generated noticeably more pressure after half-time.
The xG figures of 2.37 to 1.69 in Inter’s favour broadly reflect that shift. More important, though, was how Chivu’s side changed their approach after the break. The wing-backs pushed higher, Inter committed more players into the penalty area and repeatedly forced Roma back with crosses, second balls and quicker counter-pressing. The hosts consequently found it far harder to relieve pressure and were rarely able to reproduce the dangerous transitions that had defined their first half.
Roma can still take plenty from the match. Gasperini’s side showed before the break that their aggressive defending and fast transitions can trouble even the reigning champions. Inter, meanwhile, once again demonstrated their ability to respond under pressure and produced a major improvement after a poor first half.
Roma stay ahead of Inter at the top
The draw means both teams remain unbeaten but drop points for the first time in Serie A this season. Roma stay ahead of Inter on goal difference, with both sides heading into the international break on 13 points.
Inter return to league action on October 10 at home to Parma before hosting Club Brugge in the Champions League three days later. Roma travel to Como on October 11 and then welcome Real Madrid in the Champions League on October 14.
