Inter's inability to start matches well is becoming the defining issue of their early season. For the fourth consecutive game, Cristian Chivu's side found themselves two goals down before mounting a comeback, this time drawing 2-2 at Roma's Olimpico in a fifth-round clash that doubled as the first title showdown of the 2026/27 campaign. Lautaro Martinez scored twice to salvage a point, keeping Inter level with Roma at the top of Serie A on 13 points from five games, but the pattern of slow starts is a problem that cannot be ignored much longer.

The squad's depth is also under strain. Hakan Calhanoglu missed the Roma game through injury, with Piotr Zielinski stepping into the regista role alongside Nicolo Barella and Curtis Jones. John Stones, signed in the summer, lasted only one start before picking up a muscle injury against Udinese. Spence has yet to debut, and Jones himself has been inconsistent. The three summer arrivals have collectively delivered far less than expected so far.

Off the pitch, Italian football mourned the death of Sandro Mazzola, the Inter legend who scored 162 goals in 566 appearances for the club and won four league titles and two European Cups. Both Roma and Inter wore black armbands at the Olimpico in his honour. Inter return to action on October 10 at home to Parma, a fixture that arrives after the international break and gives Chivu time to address his side's recurring defensive fragility.