Inter put AS Roma to the sword in convincing fashion on Sunday. The league leaders proved particularly clinical and put the visitors through the wringer: 5-2. Inter now have a nine-point lead over closest rivals AC Milan, who travel to Napoli on Monday. Roma remain sixth in Serie A and face the prospect of another season without Champions League football.
Inter, with Denzel Dumfries in the starting line-up, got off to a fantastic start in front of their supporters. Marcus Thuram was given time and space to pick out the unmarked man in the box and, unsurprisingly, chose Lautaro Martínez, who fired home after just a minute: 1-0.
Inter looked fired up and could have made it 2-0 very quickly through Hakan Çalhanoglu and Federico Dimarco, but this time goalkeeper Mile Svilar managed to make a save for Roma, who had started particularly poorly.
Inter then eased off a bit, giving Roma the chance to think about attacking. Donyell Malen, who started the match just like Devyne Rensch, came very close with his well-placed header, which Yann Sommer barely managed to tip away with his fingertips.
Malen tried his luck from distance shortly afterwards, but saw his effort fly a metre wide of the goal. Five minutes before half-time, Roma finally struck, with Rensch playing a key role. The makeshift left-back delivered a delicate cross to Mancini, who nodded home: 1-1.
In first-half stoppage time, however, Roma were dealt a crushing blow. Çalhanoglu lined up a shot from just under thirty metres and saw his trademark thunderbolt fly past Svilar: 2-1.
That goal marked the start of an extremely productive second half for Inter. Thuram easily shook off Rensch – who was held back slightly – before laying the ball off to Lautaro. El Toro finished neatly with the inside of his foot.
Just three minutes later, the scoreboard read 4-1. Çalhanoglu once again demonstrated his class with a perfectly taken corner. Thuram was found and was able to head the ball unchallenged into the far corner.
Roma had no answer to Inter’s play, who scored their fifth goal of the evening in the 63rd minute. Evan Ndicka made a poor clearance, allowing Nicolò Barella to take possession. After his failed pass, he found the ball at his feet by a stroke of luck and found the top corner: 5-1.
Roma did manage to pull one back shortly after when Malen’s pass deflected off an Inter defender’s heel and fell to Lorenzo Pellegrini, who fired home. In the closing stages, Denzel Dumfries and Pio Esposito, among others, failed to extend the lead: 5-2.