# Martinez haunts Gasperini as Inter claw back from 2-0 down > The champions rescue a draw at Roma with a stirring second-half comeback, extending their uncanny record against their manager's former teams. - Title: Martinez haunts Gasperini as Inter claw back from 2-0 down - Summary: The champions rescue a draw at Roma with a stirring second-half comeback, extending their uncanny record against their manager's former teams. Inter's… - Keywords: inter milan, roma, lautaro martinez, gian piero gasperini, cristian chivu, serie a, comeback, manu kone, marcus thuram, paulo dybala, 2-2 draw, stadio olimpico - Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/21/serie-a-inter-roma-lautaro-martinez-gian-piero-gasperini - Published: 2026-09-21T12:22:12+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: inter milan, roma, lautaro martinez, gian piero gasperini, cristian chivu, serie a, comeback, manu kone, marcus thuram, paulo dybala, 2-2 draw, stadio olimpico ## Martinez scores twice to rescue Inter Lautaro Martinez netted both goals in the second half to earn Inter a 2-2 draw at Roma, cancelling out Manu Kone's first-half brace. > He always scores against me ## Gasperini grins at his old nemesis Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini smiled when greeting Martinez after the match, joking that the striker always scores against his teams. > He does it to everyone, though. He's a great champion ## Roma's aggressive start pays off Roma dominated the first half with high pressing and man-to-man engagement, with Manu Kone scoring twice from Paulo Dybala crosses. ## Kone's unlikely double Manu Kone, who has scored just twice per season at Roma, netted twice by the 37th minute, with his second initially disallowed before VAR confirmed it was onside. ## Inter miss chances before halftime Martinez missed an open goal from point-blank range and Alessandro Bastoni hit the post, but Roma's luck held in the first half. ## Thuram sparks the comeback Less than a minute into the second half, Martinez released Marcus Thuram down the left, and the forward sprinted through to finish brilliantly between three defenders. ## Inter's pattern of comebacks This was the fourth straight game Inter fell 2-0 behind and the third they avoided defeat, also recovering against Napoli and Udinese this month. ## Svilar denies Inter before Martinez equalizes Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar made a stunning reflex save on Marcus Thuram's header at a corner, but Martinez nodded the rebound onto the bar before finally equalizing in the 79th minute. ## Malen's rocket shot nearly changes it With the score 2-1, Donyell Malen swivelled to fire a powerful shot that hit Inter keeper Josep Martinez in the face, a moment that could have altered the outcome. ## Chivu frustrated with first-half display Inter's manager Cristian Chivu said he would only discuss the second half, keeping his criticism of the first-half performance private with the team. > I'm going to talk about the second half, because the things I had to say about the first will stay between me and the team ## Roma's second-half collapse pattern Roma have now conceded within three minutes of the second-half restart in all three games where they failed to keep a clean sheet this season. > two coincidences are a proof ## Roma's attacking depth impresses Donyell Malen has six Serie A goals already, two more than Martinez, while Paulo Dybala has four assists, and young Rodrigo Mora adds another attacking option. ## Inter's bench strength on display Cristian Chivu could replace Curtis Jones with Petar Sucic and bring on Carlos Augusto for Federico Dimarco, with Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny as strong late replacements. ## Martinez's record against Gasperini According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Martinez is unbeaten in 17 games against Gasperini-coached teams, winning 12 and drawing five while scoring 11 goals. ## Key takeaway Inter's ability to fight back from two goals down is becoming a pattern, but it's not a sustainable strategy for winning titles.