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Manu Kone gave Roma a 2-0 halftime lead with goals in the sixth and 37th minutes but Lautaro Martinez responded with a brace shortly after the interval and again in the 79th minute to secure a point for the defending champions, QNA reported from the fifth-round fixture. The encounter pitted two sides that had won their opening four Serie A matches against one another for the first time since October 2014 according to beIN SPORTS. Inter showed the same resilience they had displayed earlier in the week when coming from two goals behind as Martinez finished smartly from Marcus Thuram’s assist within a minute of the restart.
Roma had dominated the first half with Kone converting a headed knockdown from Nahuel Molina before adding his second from close range after a Paulo Dybala cross that survived a VAR offside check. The home side created several other openings yet failed to extend their advantage before the break. Inter captain Martinez who had missed a clear chance in the first period made no mistake after the interval to set up a tense second half.
The Argentine forward completed his comeback when he latched onto a loose ball in the box following a corner and drove it past Mile Svilar in the 79th minute. Roma goalkeeper Svilar produced important stops late on to deny Inter a victory while both teams traded attacks without finding a winner in the closing stages. The result marked the first time either side had dropped points in the 2026-27 Serie A season.
League standings issued after the full round of fixtures show Roma top the table on 13 points thanks to a superior goal difference ahead of Inter and Lazio who also sit on 13 points after a 2-0 win over Venezia. Cagliari climbed to fourth with 12 points following a 1-0 victory at Udinese through a Daniel Maldini goal while Bologna were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Torino. The shared points across the leading teams underlined the tight competition at the top of the division.
A Reuters assessment of the match highlighted how Inter’s second-half response mirrored recent performances under coach Cristian Chivu despite a slow start that will concern the technical staff. Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini had raced out of the blocks but were unable to hold on for what would have been a significant scalp. The draw keeps both clubs unbeaten after five matches each.
Gasperini told DAZN that there is a lot of positivity in this side and both teams could have won it. He added that the contest was entertaining against a great opponent that Roma know well. Martinez’s contribution once again proved decisive for Inter in a match that delivered on its billing as a top-two showdown.
