Martinez saves Inter from defeat against Roma

Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez saved title holders Inter from defeat against title rivals Roma, scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw in the fifth round of Italy’s Serie A, while Lazio remained firmly in the title race with another victory.

Roma, led by veteran manager Gian Piero Gasperini and French midfielder Manu Koné, were on the verge of extending their unbeaten start to the season and securing their fifth win in six matches. However, Martinez, the World Cup runner-up, quashed the celebrations at the Olympic Stadium.

The capital’s club, which returned to the Champions League for the first time since the 2018-2019 season after finishing third last term, appears to have even greater ambitions under Gasperini, who won the UEFA Europa League with Atalanta.

Although Roma failed to inflict Inter’s first domestic defeat since March, a side that has lost only one match outside Italy since then—against Real Madrid in this season’s Champions League—the capital club looks to be at the heart of the domestic title race. They currently lead Inter on goal difference (both on 13 points) and also sit ahead of their neighbors Lazio, who continued their strong start by beating hosts Venezia 2-0.

In a thrilling match before a large crowd, Roma deservedly led at halftime with two goals. The first came from Koné’s shot from inside the box following a pass from Argentina’s Nahuel Molina (6th minute), and the second from a closer strike by the Frenchman after a series of passes (37th minute).

As the second half began, the intensity rose quickly when Martinez reduced the deficit within seconds with a beautiful shot following a pass from France’s Marcus Thuram (46th minute). Martinez then scored the equalizer after Svilar made a save, the post blocked a subsequent attempt, and the attack continued until it reached Pessina, who played the ball to the World Cup runner-up, who scored the second (79th minute).