AS Roma 2-2 Inter result, stats and report

The Basics First

Roma 2-2 Inter. Four goals, six yellow cards, and a performance from Lautaro Martínez that reminded everyone exactly what he is. This was a game with real edge, real stakes, and real quality in patches. The kind of match Serie A used to serve up every weekend. Good to see it again.

Koné Took His Chances. Roma Did Not.

The thing is, Roma had this won. Manu Koné scored twice and put his side in total control. The first goal came in the sixth minute, a right-foot finish after Nahuel Molina provided the assist. Clinical. The second arrived at 37 minutes, a left-foot strike with Gianluca Mancini credited as the assist before VAR confirmed it stood. Two up before half-time. Against Inter. At home. That should be enough.

It was not enough because Roma did not finish the job. They created five big chances and missed four of them. Four. That number tells you everything you need to know about why this ended level. You get that kind of dominance in a fixture of this size, you have to be ruthless. They were not. Unacceptable at the top level, full stop.

Inter Were a Mess Defensively, But Lautaro Is Different

Inter's defensive attitude in the first half was all over the place. Three yellow cards before the break, including one to Nicolò Barella in the 11th minute for an argument and one to Manuel Akanji right at the end of the first half for a foul. That is no discipline. That is a team rattled.

Alessandro Bastoni picked up another booking in the 57th minute for a foul, which forced Inter's hand with substitutions. Luis Henrique came on for Bastoni at 63 minutes. The backline was disorganised and short on leadership in the moments that mattered most.

But here is where accountability cuts both ways. Lautaro Martínez showed real desire when Inter needed it. His goal on 46 minutes, a left-foot finish set up by Marcus Thuram, pulled one back immediately after the break. The timing was everything. Then at 79 minutes, with Roma still in it at 2-1, he struck again with his right foot, assisted by Yann Bisseck, to make it 2-2. Two goals. Two moments of proper quality. When your best player competes like that, you have a chance.

The Shape of the Match

Roma controlled possession at 51 percent and won 49 duels to Inter's 34. They put 16 shots on goal overall, with 5 on target. They also hit the woodwork twice. Inter had 18 total shots but only 4 on target. On the basics of shooting accuracy, Roma were more dangerous. Roma also created more big chances, five to Inter's three.

Inter's 17 interceptions compared to Roma's 9 tells you they were defending deep and in numbers for long stretches. They had to be. Roma were the better side for significant portions of this match. The problem is, better sides still need to score when it matters. Roma did not convert when they had the chance to kill it.

Inter committed 13 fouls to Roma's 7. They were physical, sometimes needlessly so, and the card count reflected that. Both teams finished with three yellow cards each, but Inter's came earlier and disrupted their structure more severely.

Substitutions Changed the Shape

Roma took Koné off at 60 minutes, replacing him with Niccolò Pisilli. That is a bold call when the goalscorer is still on the pitch and your team is leading. They also brought on Evan Ndicka for Mancini and Devyne Rensch for Molina at the same time. Three changes at once when you are two goals up. That is a lot of disruption to absorb.

Ndicka then picked up a yellow card in the 73rd minute for time wasting. He came on to shore things up and immediately drew a booking. Standards.

Inter made their own moves, bringing Carlos Augusto and Petar Sučić on at 54 minutes, then Luis Henrique at 63 after Bastoni's card. Roma's own substitute Konstantinos Koulierakis came on for Mario Hermoso in the 81st minute and was booked inside a minute for a foul. Then Daniele Ghilardi picked up a card in the 89th minute. Roma's discipline collapsed in the final ten minutes at exactly the wrong time.

The Signals Got It Wrong

I backed unders on the logic of Roma's defensive record. The thing is, Inter's attacking record suggested trouble. They put 5-3 past Udinese and 3-2 past Napoli in their last two. Goals were always coming. I trusted Roma's defence too much. The players let the bet down, not the logic. End of.

What This Means

Roma remain in genuinely strong form over ten Serie A matches, with nine wins and one draw before today. One dropped point at home to Inter is not a crisis. But the manner of it will sting. Leading 2-0 and conceding twice is a mentality issue. You have to see those games out. You have to compete for the full 90 minutes, not just the first 37.

Inter got a point they probably did not deserve for 80 minutes of this match. Lautaro gave them that point on his own. That is the difference a top striker makes. Roma need to find someone who does the same when it is 2-0 and the game should be over. Instead they missed four big chances and paid for it.

A draw it is. Both teams move on. Roma will be frustrated. Inter will be relieved.