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.