AS Roma 2-2 Inter Milan
Sunday lunchtime in Serie A and a top of the table clash to boot – not a bad way to spend the time.
Serie A highlights were all but guaranteed, right?
And after each of the last five Serie A meetings between these sides had ended all square, surely a sixth successive draw wasn’t on the cards?
Highlights of the game
While Roma went into the clash in third place, all the pressure is on Inter Milan Antonio Conte to win Serie A following a year and a half of spending big with nothing to show for it, including two successive group stage exits in the Champions League.
He would also have been aware rivals and neighbours AC Milan had won last night to open up a four-point gap at the summit.
Inter nearly made the start they would have desired as Lautaro Martinez ran onto a long ball and held off Gianluca Mancini, managing to get a shot towards goal which Pau Lopez pushed away.
From the resultant corner, Romelu Lukaku’s header from close range was acrobatically tipped away by the Spanish goalkeeper.
It then took a fine block from Chris Smalling to stop another Lukaku shot – two former Manchester United team-mates having an enjoyable duel.
Then Roma struck.
Jordan Veretout robbed possession of Nicolo Barella to spark a counter and the ball was rolled across to Lorenzo Pellegrini by Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the edge of the area. There was still plenty to do but the 24-year-old midfielder rifled a fine finish, with the aid of a slight deflection which wrong-footed Samir Handanovic in the Inter goal, into the far bottom corner.
If Pellegrini’s commitment to club was in question – and it shouldn’t be – with 18 months remaining on his contract, this was the perfect riposte.
A powerful shot from Veretout had to be beaten away by Handanovic as Roma sensed a second.
The strength of the visitors’ squad was shown when Matteo Darmian was unable to continue 10 minutes before the break and was replaced by Ashley Young – another recruit from Manchester United.
Young made an instant impression and managed to cross only for the unmarked Martinez to mistime his header, while the same player had a goal ruled out for offside and Arturo Vidal fired wide from a promising position as Inter finished the half in the ascendancy.
Whereas Roma have spent a number of years selling their best players, Inter have spent the last two summers investing heavily so there was always a feeling Roma would be pegged back.
It proved that way as they netted twice in seven minutes to take the lead.
After Lopez superbly parried to keep out Martinez from close range, Milan Skriniar powered home an equaliser following a Marcelo Brozovic corner – the Slovakian’s second goal in four games.
If that goal was impressive, Inter’s second was even better as Martinez sent the ball down the right and Achraf Hakimi cut inside before unleashing a shot which bounced in off the underside of the bar.
It was no more than Inter deserved and, at that stage, they were back within a point of the top.
Roma, to their credit, refused to go quietly and Mkhitaryan fired high from close range before Edin Dzeko saw a shot smothered by Handanovic.
When the shot-stopper denied Gianluca Mancini, Roma may have thought their best chance had passed.
Alas, the same player was not to be stopped from the corner that followed as he looped a header into the bottom corner with four minutes left on the clock.
Two goals apiece, a point apiece and a deserved draw.
Questions about Inter and, in particular, Conte’s management remain but the real winners from this clash? – AC Milan and Juventus.
The SBOTOP Serie A betting odds on the 2020/21 title remain intriguingly poised.
Key statistics
Mkhitaryan has now scored at least eight goals and provided at least eight assists in a top-5 European League this season, along with Harry Kane of Spurs.
Before Hakimi, the last Inter defender to score six goals in a Serie A campaign was the Brazilian Maicon in 2009/10.
What’s next?
It’s the big one next for Roma – the Derby della Capitale, the Rome derby and a trip to city rivals Lazio (January 15).
That is followed by two meetings in five days with Spezia in both the Coppa Italia and the league.
Inter Milan have their cup tie next with a trip to Fiorentina on Wednesday afternoon (January 13) ahead of a home clash with league champions and the side considered their main title rivals, Juventus, next Sunday night (January 17).
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