Lautaro Martinez scores twice as Inter Milano recover from two down to draw 2-2 with AS Roma

First-half Roma dominance

AS Roma established an early advantage at the Stadio Olimpico during round five of Serie A against Italian champions Inter Milano. Midfielder Manu Kone opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a finish from inside the penalty area to put the capital club ahead. Roma maintained offensive pressure over the opening period, and Paulo Dybala tested Inter goalkeeper Martinez with a powerful effort from distance in the 20th minute. Inter created an opportunity to level the score in the 26th minute when Yann Bisseck broke through one-on-one following a throw-in, but Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar stopped the German defender's shot. Roma converted their territorial advantage into a second goal in the 37th minute as Kone scored his second of the match to give Roma a 2-0 lead at the break.

Inter's second-half response

Inter altered their tempo immediately following the halftime interval under the direction of manager Cristian Chivu. Team captain Lautaro Martinez finished an offensive counterattack in the 46th minute to reduce Roma's lead to 2-1. Roma had an opportunity to restore a two-goal advantage in the 68th minute through attacker Donyell Malen, but his shot struck the Inter goalkeeper in the head and flew out of play. Inter continued to press forward in search of an equalizer and found it in the 79th minute when Martinez scored his second goal of the evening. The Argentine forward's double brought the visitors level at 2-2 heading into the final stages of the match.

Late chances and closing substitutions

Both clubs sought a winning goal during the closing ten minutes of regulation time at the Stadio Olimpico. Inter forward Marcus Thuram nearly found a decisive third goal in the 88th minute, but his attempt missed the target. Chivu altered his front line in the closing minutes of the game by substituting his attacking players to push for a victory. Roma managed the late defensive pressure from Inter and held their defensive shape through stoppage time. The contest concluded with the teams sharing the points at 2-2 after 90 minutes.

League standings and comeback sequence

The 2-2 result keeps AS Roma and Inter Milano tied at the top of the Serie A table through five matches. Both clubs have accumulated 13 points from four victories and one draw during the opening weeks of the season. Roma retains first place in the table due to a superior goal difference, leaving Inter in second place on the same point total. The result marks the third consecutive Serie A match where Chivu's team has erased a 0-2 deficit, following previous comebacks against Napoli and Udinese. Unlike the preceding two fixtures where Inter completed comeback wins, the Milan club settled for a draw at the Olimpico.

AS Roma13

Inter Milano13

AS Roma

13 points

Inter Milano

13 points

Data from the article text