Reigning Serie A champions, Inter Milan, climbed back to second place in the standings with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night.
The loss halted Roma’s run of scoring in 25 consecutive league games on home turf.
Inter took control of the game early, dictating possession and testing Roma’s defense, with Lautaro Martinez teeing up Marcus Thuram for the game’s first meaningful attempt, a powerful shot that was smartly saved by goalkeeper Mile Svilar.
Roma had their own moments in the opening exchanges. A dangerous shot from Lorenzo Pellegrini almost gifted the hosts a goal when Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer fumbled it onto the post.
The Giallorossi looked threatening at times, but luck was not on their side. To make matters worse for Inter, they suffered an early blow when Hakan Calhanoglu was forced off due to a muscle injury, leading to Davide Frattesi being introduced into the midfield.
The substitution did little to disrupt Inter’s flow, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan almost put them ahead with a fierce volley that rattled the crossbar.
Just before the half-hour mark, more injury concerns arose for the visitors when Stefan de Vrij replaced Francesco Acerbi, who appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue.
The first half ended with both teams looking to strike but lacking that clinical edge, as Sommer made a crucial save from another Pellegrini attempt.
Heading into the second half, it was clear that both managers, Simone Inzaghi and Ivan Jurić, believed their teams could still secure all three points.
However, it was Inter who looked more poised to capitalize on their chances. Roma struggled to create significant danger, often misfiring or making poor decisions in the final third.
The breakthrough came on the hour mark. A lapse in concentration from Nicola Zalewski saw him lose possession, allowing Frattesi to pounce.
Although Frattesi’s pass seemed errant, Zeki Celik’s heavy touch was enough for Lautaro Martinez to seize the opportunity, hammering the ball into the back of the net from just inside the area, giving Inter a deserved lead.
Celik nearly made amends for his error minutes later by sliding in to deny Federico Dimarco what would have been Inter’s second goal.
Roma’s best chance to level the score came when Artem Dovbyk headed wide from a promising position, but their inability to finish ultimately cost them. Inter had chances to extend their lead, but Svilar made crucial stops, denying efforts from Denzel Dumfries and Thuram.
For Roma, the defeat marked a dismal run of just one win in 16 meetings with Inter (D6, L9), leaving them to regroup ahead of a crucial UEFA Europa League clash against Dynamo Kyiv.
Inter, meanwhile, shift focus to their midweek Champions League encounter with Young Boys, hoping to build on this victory.
