Two Points Dropped

On the eve of AS Roma vs Inter, I was wondering when was the last time Inter beat Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. I couldn’t remember and there wasn’t any information readily available on the Internet. The answer to that after some research is a 3-1 win at Stadio Olimpico in the 2017-18 season. Roma and Inter played out a 2-2 draw, a mirror of the result from the same fixture last season.

Slow Start & Missed Chances

We got off to a poor start in the game. We were sloppy in possession, giving the ball away cheaply and getting caught in possession. But despite being slow off the blocks, we had the chances to take the lead. Romelu Lukaku had a header saved from point-blank range by Pau Lopez and he was presented with a great opportunity but was too slow to get the shot off. His shot was blocked by his former team-mate, Chris Smalling. It was frustrating because they were two gilt-edged chances to take the lead in a big game but we squandered them.

Statue Handa

When it came to getting caught in possession, there was no better example than when Nicolo Barella was robbed of possession by Jordan Veretout. Barella should feel ashamed at losing possession in a good position because it resulted in Roma scoring the game’s opening goal. Roma deserved the lead because they were sharper in possession, had greater initiative and desire. It was frustrating again for us to see another shot on our goal, the first we faced in the match find its way to the back of the net with our goalkeeper rooted to the spot for the umpteenth time. So many times this season we have seen Samir Handanovic looks heavy-footed and slow to get across and make a save. We have seen him perform heroics for us in the past but this is a big step down and it is costing us points.

Saves & Misses

Inter steadied the ship and had a good 10-15 minutes spell before half-time. We fashioned two chances, one missed horribly by Arturo Vidal and another a free header by Lautaro Martinez that didn’t hit the target. He missed with another header from a good position in the defeat to Sampdoria too. After the hat-trick against Crotone, he is back to fluffing his lines in front of goal. He MUST do better and find greater consistency. The strong end to the first half was followed by an intense and dominant start to the second half. Pau Lopez pulled off another great save when Lukaku brushed off a defender to square for Martinez. Marcelo Brozovic had a chance too that was blocked.

Deficit Overturned

Finally, our pressure told when Milan Skriniar rose high to plant a superb header past Lopez from Brozovic’s corner. We followed that up with a wonderful strike by Achraf Hakimi, cutting in on his weaker left foot to curl a shot off the crossbar. He had already forced Lopez into pulling off a save before scoring. This was as good as it got for us. I became more frustrated on at least three occasions. Brozovic had two opportunities to release Lukaku and Hakimi into space but didn’t. On another attack, Vidal completely miskicked from a good position. We couldn’t find the third goal to wrap up the game.

Two Points Dropped

Inter started sitting back and I was just hoping that we could see out this game. I was very worried about our ability to hold out the waves of Roma attack. The substitutions we made were negative and that played into the hands of Roma. Finally, their pressure told and they scored a deserved equaliser. Another big game, another lost lead. It was our best performance in all our big matches this season but we couldn’t finish with three points. I am left annoyed at our negative tactics and substitutions. It’s backward. While we were on the front foot, it was tough for Roma to keep up with us. Attack is our best form of defence and that is the team’s strength, the sooner Conte realises it the better. Publically, it doesn’t seem like he regrets his decisions but privately, I hope he does.