Gary Medel supplied the decisive strike midway through the first-half as Inter leapfrogged Roma at the summit of the Serie A table.

A cagey opening

Mancini had been intrepid in his team selection by jettisoning the seemingly indispensable Mauro Icardi after he bemoaned the side’s lack of creativity in the wake of their slender victory over cellar-dwellars Bologna.

Adem Ljajic, though, the man who had dislodged Icardi in the line-up, had been bright in his previous two outings before this evening but was almost culpable when he allowed Gervinho to drift in-behind and supply a dangerous cross into the danger area. But Jeison Murillo stood in his way.

Roma had begun on the front foot and were circling possession with the swagger of a side who rest alone atop the Serie A table. Inter did, to their credit, start to impose themselves on proceedings. but piercing through a stringent Roma midfield was proving a tall order.

Chances had been at a premium during the opening quarter, though Edin Džeko fashioned an opportunity of his own when he connected with Lucas Digne’s expertly delivered centre to prompt fingertips from Samir Handanovic

Swift, though, was Inter’s response. Marcelo Brozovic dovetailed divinely with Ljajic on the edge of the area and, after eluding the diving challenge of Maicon, flashed an effort across the face of goal.

Roma continued to press forward, particularly Maicon, and went close on 22 minutes. The right-back, who yielded a star performance against Udinese in midweek, combined beautifully with Pjanic before forcing Handanovic into the save. The ball fell to Džeko but Brozovic done enough to thwart the Bosnian’s attempt.

Inter seize the iniative

The forward would be left to rue his nonchalance eight minutes later when Inter, from an unlikely source, made the breakthrough. Gary Medel, more commonly renowned for his defensive prowess, received possession on the edge of the area and, as Roma sagged off, the Chilean obliged with a line drive that beat Wojciech Szczesny at his far post. A collective item, perhaps, though Mancini cared little as he sent his fist skywards on the touchline.

Inter seemed to extract belief from the Chilean’s effort, seizing the initiative as they trotted into the dressing rooms at half-time as the team in ascendency. Roma, though, were being offered encouragement from the flanks.

They certainly started the second-half with a spring in their step and tested Handanovic from a corner. Džeko rose highest from his compatriot’s corner and diverted his header down but the Croat palmed it to safety.

The Bosnian was central minutes later when he latched onto Maicon’s adroit dink in-behind the Inter rearguard. But his final pass, where Mohamed Salah would have surely restored parity, was lacking.

But the Egyptian was at the forefront on the hour mark when he was denied not once, but twice, by the reflexes of Handanovic. The Croat could only palm Pjanic’s strike into the Egyptian’s vicinity and, after denying the winger once with his feet, thwarted his headed rebound as Inter clung on.

Inter’s frailties at set-pieces were being ruefully exploited, though, and Kostas Manolas was the next Roma figure to go close when he nodded over from close range.

A frenetic conclusion

The visitors’ hopes of mounting a comeback were dealt a serious blow when they were bereft of their creator-in-chief, Pjanic, for a second bookable offence with 17 minutes remaining.

Mancini’s side almost capitalised on their numerical advantage when Brozovic tested Szczesny from close range with an acrobatic effort. 

But Roma reinstated their superiority and, in a frantic conclusion, appeared threatening on the break.

The fourth official signalled for an additional five minutes of stoppage time but, despite the away side's best effort, they could not summon an equaliser.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Craig Vickers
Milk, honey and Andy Murray. Email: craigvickers1998[at]outlook.com