Internazionale v Roma Live Commentary & Result, 08/02/2022, Coppa Italia

That's all from San Siro today, so thank you for joining us and goodbye!

Before they meet either arch rivals Milan or Lazio in the semis, Inter are set to embark on a challenging series of fixtures in the coming weeks, facing both Napoli and Liverpool in pursuit of glory at home and in Europe. Roma, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from this disappointment in Sassuolo on Sunday.

After a flying first 20 minutes, Inter sealed their passage into the Coppa Italia's final four with a more controlled performance, which restricted Roma to few meaningful goal attempts throughout. The final blow came in spectacular style, as Sanchez's thunderbolt killed off the Giallorossi's meek challenge and allowed Inzaghi to make several changes ahead of Saturday's big clash with Napoli. The Nerazzurri's double dream comes one step closer, then, as they progress to the two-leg semi-finals.

90' + 4' FULL-TIME: INTER 2-0 ROMA

90' + 3' In the third of four indicated stoppage-time minutes, Karsdorp buys a throw-in off Skriniar in an advanced position, but more slipshod Roma passing then means even the chance of a consolation goal is lost.

90' + 1' Calhanoglu brings down Mkhitaryan in midfield, and it has been a quiet 90 minutes for the latter, who never really managed to get his foot on the ball.

F. Afena-Gyan

T. Abraham

89' Following his worrying injury, Abraham is forced off, allowing young Afena-Gyan a few moments to savour the San Siro atmosphere.

87' The game goes from bad to worse for Roma, as Abraham has pulled up with an apparent thigh injury. After limping heavily, he falls to the ground and looks as though he cannot carry on.

M. Vecino

A. Vidal

85' Vidal also makes way, in his case for Vecino.

D. Dumfries

I. Perišić

85' Another typically industrious shift over, Perisic comes off and Dumfries is on.

H. Çalhanoğlu

N. Barella

84' Barella is the latest Inter man to be substituted, giving way for Calhanoglu to make a brief midfield cameo.

82' While the possession stats have evened out during this second half - Inter enjoying 57 per cent - the Nerazzurri have won over 62 per cent of the individual duels, which indictates their superior sharpness on the day.

80' CLOSE! After Barella wins a free-kick out on the right, Perisic makes a near-post run to win the aerial contest. However, his flick-header glances just wide of the far post.

78' Making a quick impression following his arrival, Martinez strikes from more than 20 yards out, but his attempt rises inexorably over the crossbar.

S. El Shaarawy

M. Viña

76' Roma make a further change, as Vina makes way for ex-Milan forward El Shaarawy to return to the hallowed San Siro turf.

Lautaro Martínez

E. Džeko

76' Martinez will be given a few minutes to impress, while Dzeko enjoys a well earned rest.

74' Having got to a cross ahead of his marker, Abraham sees his header strike the crossbar, but the referee had already called a halt to proceedings for the Roma forward's push on D'Ambrosio.

72' Looking set for another exit today, Mourinho may have progressed from each of his first nine quarter-finals in national cup competitions as a manager, but he has since failed to make it through four of his last nine. Surely another last-eight loss looms in 20 minutes' time?

L. Pellegrini

Sérgio Oliveira

70' Oliveira is the other man hauled off by Mourinho, as Roma skipper Pellegrini comes on with a brief to salvage the cup tie.

B. Cristante

J. Veretout

70' Roma have responded to going two behind with a couple of changes. First, Veretout comes off to be replaced by Cristante in midfield.

A. Sánchez

Goal

68' SANCHEZ STRIKES THE SECOND! Stepping on to a ball from Darmian, the previously quiet Sanchez takes a couple of touches to steady himself before firing an unstoppable rocket from over 20 yards into the top-left corner. It was a wonderfully pure strike - Patricio was left helpless! Inter go 2-0 up!

M. Darmian

Assist

68' Darmian picked out Sanchez inside the Roma half, before the Chilean striker did the rest with a wonderstrike from long range.

65' As Roma start to step up their so-far modest attacking efforts, Zaniolo chases on to a loose ball out wide and skilfully steers it towards goal, with Handanovic out of position. Somehow, Skriniar clears it off the line with a desperate lunge, but the flag has gone up in any case. Frantic stuff!

63' CLOSE! Barella thunders in a half-volley from long range, sending Patricio scrambling to palm the ball away out from under his crossbar.

61' SAVE! Handanovic is called upon again, and the Inter captain reacts well to tip the ball over his crossbar after Abraham's shot is charged down and Oliveira lets fly from distance. There was a heavy deflection there, too.

59' Zaniolo mishits a left-footed shot from outside the box wide of the right-hand post. It wasn't a golden chance spurned, but he has lacked precision so far today.

57' From an Inter corner on the left, a bouncing ball just falls short of the lurking Dzeko, and his centre-forward counterpart Abraham intervenes to clear the ball away.

55' Popping up on the right once again, Abraham pulls a dangerous ball back across the area, but it falls on Vina's weaker right foot and the Uruguayan wing-back has his shot charged down.

53' After a dashing run by Darmian from the right flank to inside, his attempted link-up with Sanchez on the edge of the box is broken up by the persistent efforts of Mancini.

51' Skriniar wins out in the latest round of his battle with Abraham, who cuts in from the right once again, by blocking the England striker's attempt to progress into the Inter area.

49' There's a more deliberate pace to proceedings at the start of the second period, with Roma clearly taking time to circulate the ball in their own half. They can't afford to get stung again, as surely that would be game over.

47' Full of confidence due to his recent form, Abraham neatly turns Skriniar near the halfway line and tries to feed Zaniolo inside the area, but Handanovic is quick to react and gathers in the ball.

M. Kumbulla

Ibañez

46' Ibanez has apparently picked up an injury, so Kumbulla will be his second-half replacement in the Roma back three.

46' It looks like Roma are making a change, as we get back under way in Milan.

Undoubtedly, the Scudetto holders have the far deeper squad to rely upon during the second half, allowing for several changes of personnel - if not the system Inzaghi adheres to pretty rigidly. Roma, meanwhile, have almost all their star men already on the pitch, but captain Pellegrini could prove an inspirational introduction if and when Mourinho chooses to deploy him.

Inter were immediately on the front foot at the start of the game, tearing effortlessly through a sluggish Roma back line at will, but as the game began to even out across the half they failed to augment their one-goal advantage. While that will be a source of frustration for Inzaghi, his counterpart and predecessor as Inter boss has far more reconstructive work to do at the interval, as Mourinho's men have been dysfunctional at times and have spurned the few opportunities they've created.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: INTER 1-0 ROMA

45' + 2' Having endured a difficult first 45 minutes, Smalling at least ends the half by leaping highest to clear a dangerous cross from the left by Perisic into the six-yard box. That could effectively be that before the break.

S. de Vrij

A. Bastoni

45' The injured Bastoni comes off to be replaced by De Vrij, with only stoppage time remaining in the first half.

44' A tearful Bastoni is helped off by a combination of team-mates and medical staff and his game is over. Inzaghi will have to make a change in his back three.

42' International team-mates Zaniolo and Bastoni clash in an aerial challenge, with the latter ending up in a crumpled heap after seeming to fall awkwardly. That could curtail his match, by the look of it.

41' Ending a promising move, Darmian is penalised for apparently accidentally handling the ball as he brought it under control.

40' Oliveira slings a free-kick from deep on the right into the penalty area, but Inter comfortably get the ball away to safety.

G. Mancini

Yellow Card

38' Mancini quickly follows his team-mate into the referee's notebook, seeing yellow for bringing down Sanchez.

N. Zaniolo

Yellow Card

37' Following his red card at the weekend, Zaniolo is in trouble again, being booked for blocking Bastoni.

35' Barella sees a left-footed shot from outside the box go close, missing to the right side of Handanovic's goal.

32' Successive Inter corners come to nothing, as the Nerazzurri start to build up another head of steam and take control of the game.

30' Roma have failed to beat Inter in the last nine games across all competitions and were eliminated at this stage in the last two editions of the Coppa Italia, so they are up against precedent today.

28' After Brozovic brings down Mkhitaryan, an Oliveira free-kick finds Ibanez in the box, but his header misses to the left side of the Inter goal.

25' Having withstood the hosts' initial onslaught, Roma are now starting to inch further up the pitch and Inter look a little less fluent with the ball. Mourinho will be glad to have come out of that opening spell just one goal behind - there could be many more twists and turns yet!

23' Zaniolo has a left-footed shot from the edge of the box blocked by a fast-closing Inter defender, following a pass from Abraham.

21' Again involved, Dzeko puts an ambitious attempt well over the crossbar from outside the area.

19' Perhaps unsurprisingly, Inter have enjoyed nearly three-quarters of the possession so far (74 per cent) and have made three times as many passes as their visitors in the opening 20 minutes.

17' SHARP SAVE! Handanovic gets down well to keep out a seemingly surefire Roma equaliser, after Abraham lays the ball off for Zaniolo, who forces the Slovenian stopper to save with his legs from close range. Roma are edging back into this cup tie!

15' OFF THE BAR! Roma finally cause some problems of their own, as Karsdorp crosses for the waiting Abraham and Inter's D'Ambrosio deflects the ball onto the top of the crossbar.

13' Abraham and then Ibanez are required to clear away crosses from the Inter right, as the pressure on Roma's defensive third refuses to abate.

11' Karsdorp does better in his duel with Perisic on this occasion, as the Dutch defender shepherds a long dropping ball behind under intense pressure from his fellow wide man near the byline.

9' Dzeko is the latest Inter man to come close to a second, as his header from inside the area is saved in the bottom-left corner by Patricio. Roma just cannot get a foothold in this game.

8' SAVE! Patricio has to be alert to field a close-range header from Skriniar, following a free-kick sent over from the right flank.

6' OFF THE BAR! Inter are in the mood today, and Barella almost doubles their early lead when he rattles in a strike from long range which thumps the Roma crossbar! The visitors are merely hanging on here in the opening exchanges.

4' Once a darling of the Roma fans, Dzeko scored 119 goals for the capital club - only Francesco Totti (307) and Roberto Pruzzo (138) have scored more in the Giallorossi’s long history.

I. Perišić

Assist

2' A typically lung-busting surge down the left took Perisic into a perfect crossing area, and the Inter wing-back slung in a well-placed ball for Dzeko to convert.

E. Džeko

Goal

2' INTER OFF THE MARK! With the first meaningful attack of the match, Perisic races away from Karsdorp down the left, crossing in from the edge of the area for Dzeko to plant a composed side-foot volley past Patricio in the Roma goal. The Nerazzurri are off to a flyer, and Dzeko has already twisted the dagger against his former club. Inter 1-0 Roma!

1' We are under way at the Meazza!

The players are now out on the San Siro pitch, with kick-off just moments away!

Roma have fielded an almost full-strength team, with captain Pellegrini - only recently back from an injury lay-off - starting the game on the bench. Top scorer Abraham leads the line up front, with support from Zaniolo, who was sent off late on at the weekend but will serve his suspension in Serie A. Jordan Veretout and Matias Vina are the only two men to be brought into the team following the disappointing draw with Genoa.

Following the Milan derby loss, Inter make changes to their starting XI today, bringing in South American duo Sanchez and Vidal for Martinez and Calhanoglu, who both begin this tie on the bench. Wing-back Darmian also usurps Dumfries on the hosts' right flank, while D'Ambrosio is drafted in for De Vrij at the back. Starting up front, Dzeko previously made 260 appearances in Giallorossi colours for the visiting side.

SUBS: Daniel Fuzato, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Eldor Shomurodov, Felix Afena-Gyan, Stephan El Shaarawy, Pietro Boer, Carles Perez, Edoardo Bove, Bryan Cristante, Nicola Zalewski, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Marash Kumbulla.

ROMA (3-4-1-2): Rui Patricio; Roger Ibanez, Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling; Rick Karsdorp, Jordan Veretout, Sergio Oliveira, Matias Vina; Henrikh Mkhitaryan; Nicolo Zaniolo, Tammy Abraham.

SUBS: Alex Cordaz, Ionut Radu, Stefan de Vrij, Lautaro Martinez, Federico Dimarco, Roberto Gagliardini, Matias Vecino, Aleksandar Kolarov, Denzel Dumfries, Hakan Calhanoglu, Andrea Ranocchia.

INTER (3-5-2): Samir Handanovic; Alessandro Bastoni, Milan Skriniar, Danilo D'Ambrosio; Matteo Darmian, Marcelo Brozovic, Arturo Vidal, Nicolo Barella, Ivan Perisic; Edin Dzeko, Alexis Sanchez.

Former Inter coach Jose Mourinho, who was in charge when today's hosts last lifted both national trophies in the same season, leads Roma out at San Siro after seeing his side held goalless by Genoa on Sunday. Leaving the Giallorossi seventh in the Serie A standings, that draw against the lowly Ligurians followed a run of three consecutive wins - including a 3-1 dispatching of Serie B side Lecce in the previous round. The capital club have not won the Coppa since 2008 - waiting three years longer than Inter.

The Coppa Italia quarter-finals begin today, in Milan, with Scudetto holders Inter aiming to go one better this season and secure the domestic double. Though the Nerazzurri suffered a rare setback in losing Sunday's Derby della Madonnina to their city rivals, they remain top of the table in Serie A, and now seek a third successive semi-final spot in the cup.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Coppa Italia quarter-final clash between Inter and Roma at San Siro!

Internazionale v Roma Live Commentary, 09/02/2022

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