Rome’s Olimpico staged a meeting worthy of the early Serie A summit, with Roma and Inter arriving unbeaten and leaving with a 2-2 draw that preserved the fine margins at the top. Roma began the day first on goal difference, while Inter had scored 13 league goals to the hosts’ 12, and the contest unfolded with the attacking intent those figures suggested.
Koné gives Roma a two-goal platform
Manu Koné produced the first brace of his senior career, putting Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma in command before the interval. Paulo Dybala was central to both goals, directing a lively home display and repeatedly finding space to unsettle Inter’s defence.
- Koné struck after six minutes. Dybala delivered toward the far post, Nahuel Molina headed the ball back from the byline, and the French midfielder finished from close range despite Josep Martínez getting a touch.
- Dybala, in strong form, also tested the possibilities himself with one effort over the bar and another just wide of the post.
- Roma’s energetic passing and pressing restricted Inter for much of the opening half, while Donyell Malen fired over from a turning attempt inside the area.
- Inter began to find their way after around half an hour. Yann Bisseck broke forward unexpectedly but was denied one-on-one by Mile Svilar, before Lautaro Martínez sent Federico Dimarco’s low delivery wide while stretching to reach it.
- Koné doubled Roma’s advantage before the break. Another Dybala cross reached the far side, Gianluca Mancini made a slight touch, and Koné controlled before beating Martínez again. The goal was initially ruled out but stood after a VAR check.
Lautaro changes the rhythm after the interval
Inter’s response was immediate. In the first move of the second half, Marcus Thuram pulled the ball back at the end of a counterattack and Lautaro swept a finish across goal to cut the deficit. From there, the match became a more even exchange, with both sides enjoying their own spells.
Roma had a clear opportunity to restore their cushion through Malen, who created room with a sharp piece of control before sending a powerful half-turn shot toward goal. Martínez stopped it with his face, an important intervention from the goalkeeper following his first call-up to the Spain squad.
Inter’s late resilience earns a point
Lautaro, named the match’s MVP, delivered again in the 81st minute. The Argentina forward had already been heavily involved in the same sequence: Svilar made an outstanding save from Bisseck, and Lautaro then headed the rebound onto the crossbar. When the ball returned, he brought it under control with his thigh and volleyed into the net for 2-2.
- Lautaro’s equaliser completed his second consecutive league brace after his two goals in Inter’s 3-2 comeback against Napoli.
- Inter finished the stronger side, continuing a season in which recoveries have become a recurring feature.
- Roma’s first-half authority and Inter’s second-half response left the draw feeling balanced, with neither unbeaten contender able to claim sole reward in the capital.
The point kept the leading pair close after a match that gave the Olimpico a full evening of momentum swings: Koné’s breakthrough performance for Roma, Dybala’s creative influence, and another decisive intervention from Lautaro for Inter.
