AS Roma 2-4 Internazionale: Inter fight back for crucial win to open up seven-point lead at top of Serie A
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Updated 10/02/2024 at 21:24 GMT
Internazionale beat AS Roma 4-2 at a sodden Stadio Olimpico to open up a seven-point lead at the top of Serie A. Roma had led 2-1 but an Angelino own goal gave Inter a 3-2 advantage as the clock ticked towards full time. And Alessandro Bastoni rubber-stamped the win for the Nerazzurri with a fourth in stoppage time. The win moves Inter seven points clear at the top of the table.
Inter Milan's French forward #09 Marcus Thuram celebrates after scoring an equalizer during the Italian Serie A football match between AS Roma and Inter Milan at the Olympic stadium in Rome on February 10, 2024.
Image credit: Getty Images
Inter came from behind to beat Roma 4-2 in a thriller to extend their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points and end Daniele De Rossi’s perfect start in the capital.
De Rossi, who succeeded Jose Mourinho on a deal to the end of the season last month, won his first three games as Giallorossi boss, but faced a daunting task against an Inter side unbeaten in Serie A since September.
Francesco Acerbi headed the visitors in front under torrential rain in the capital after 17 minutes, but Roma mustered a superb response as Gianluca Mancini nodded in a free-kick before Stephan El Shaarawy cannoned a finish off both posts and in to nudge them ahead on the brink of half-time.
A determined Nerazzurri side came flying out in the second half, taking four minutes to equalise when Marcus Thuram tucked in a cross before the striker’s pressure forced the unfortunate Angelino into an own goal six minutes later.
Benjamin Pavard clipped the post with a sensational volley and Romelu Lukaku squandered a huge chance one-on-one with Yann Sommer as the goalkeeper pinched the ball off his toes.
Despite a late surge of pressure from the home side, Inter’s league-best defence held on and caught out the high-pressing visitors on the counter as Alessandro Bastoni finished off a three-versus-one breakaway.
TALKING POINT – Inter underline champions-elect status
In the space of a week, Inter have shown they can beat some of their most illustrious Serie A rivals in very different ways.
Where Sunday’s Derby d’Italia was decided by a single own goal in a tactical chess match short of massive openings, their trip to Rome showed they can turn on the goal tap when required and have the bottle and quality to respond to adversity by coming from behind to win at a hostile venue.
This was a major test to their champions-elect status but with the way they are playing, combined with a seven-point lead over Juve, it’s hard to think of them as anything else.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Marcus Thuram
There were several impressive performers, but Thuram once again showed his big-game bottle by turning the tide back in Inter’s favour in a bruising 10-minute period in the second half, tucking home a fine equaliser before forcing an own goal with the second – much as he did a week earlier against Juventus. Lautaro Martinez may get more headlines, but Thuram has been a huge part of Inter’s superb season so far.
PLAYER RATINGS
Roma: Patricio 6; Karsdorp 6, Huijsen 6, Mancini 7, Angelino 5; Pellegrini 8, Paredes 7, Cristante 6; Dybala 6, Lukaku 6, El Shaarawy 8
Subs: Spinazzola 6, Bove 6, Baldanzi 7, Zalewski 6, Azmoun 6
Inter: Sommer 7; Pavard 7, Acerbi 8, Bastoni 8; Darmian 7, Barella 7, Calhanoglu 7, Mkhitaryan 7, Dimarco 6; Thuram 8, Martinez 6
Subs: De Vrij 6, Arnautovic 7, Dumfries 6, Augusto 6, Sanchez 6
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
18’ GOAL! ROMA 0-1 INTER (ACERBI) Inter lead! Dimarco swings in the corner, Lukaku glances a clearing header towards the back post, but Acerbi is there and nods it back across goal and into the bottom corner! The referee is looking at a potential offside as Thuram is standing alongside Patricio when Acerbi heads the ball back in, but Marco Guida sees nothing wrong with it and the goal will stand.
28’ GOAL! ROMA 1-1 INTER (Mancini) Roma are level and it's the day of the centre-backs! Mancini nods in from a free-kick out on the right wing and the home crowd erupts. We've got a game on our hands!
45’ GOAL! ROMA 2-1 INTER (El Shaarawy) Wow! Comeback complete for De Rossi's men on the brink of half-time as Pellegrini charges upfield to lead a counter-attack and feeds El Shaarawy on the left. The winger bends in a shot, which hits both posts before nestling in the back of the net. Roma lead and the Olimpico is BOUNCING
49’ GOAL! ROMA 2-2 INTER (Thuram) Inter level in style! A flowing team move that one, as Barella shifts the ball right to Darmian, whose cross finds Thuram at the front post to slide home a finish. Level again, what a game!
56’ GOAL! ROMA 2-3 INTER (Thuram - later changed to Angeliño OG) Would you believe it? Inter are in front again just 10 minutes into the second half and it's Thuram again! Again it's from a cross, this time from the left, and again the French striker gets there first to apply the finish. What a response from the league leaders.
93’ GOAL! ROMA 2-4 INTER (Bastoni) That seals it! Inter hit on the counter and, of all people, it's the big centre-back Bastoni who is at the end of a 3v1 to hit a composed finish and seal a huge win for his side.
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