Roma have left Inter’s Scudetto dreams in tatters with their first win over the Nerazzurri since 2017, as Paulo Dybala’s volley and a Chris Smalling header overturned Federico Dimarco’s opener.
Jose Mourinho returned to San Siro, but was in the stands due to a touchline ban, with Rick Karsdorp, Georginio Wijnaldum and Ebrima Darboe injured, but Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini shook off muscular issues and Tammy Abraham was surprisingly dropped. Romelu Lukaku was still out after over a month and was joined by Marcelo Brozovic, so Kristjan Asllani and Edin Dzeko stepped in. Both sides were coming off defeats going into the break for international duty, so it was a crucial battle to stay in the Scudetto race.
Lautaro Martinez’s early header was straight at Rui Patricio, then Edin Dzeko did have the ball in the net from 12 yards after a chaotic move, but what would’ve been his 100th Serie A goal was disallowed by VAR for offside.
Hakan Calhanoglu’s screamer fizzed just wide of the upright, but Inter did indeed take the lead when Nicolò Bastoni threaded through for Federico Dimarco, who rolled it fairly slowly into the near bottom corner from the edge of the area with his weaker right foot, Rui Patricio getting down very late indeed.
Samir Handanovic made a desperate double save on Leonardo Spinazzola and then Dybala, but it wouldn’t have counted for an earlier foul on Denzel Dumfries.
Nonetheless, it left Inter shaken, as moments later they gave the ball away cheaply playing out from the back and Spinazzola’s cross found Dybala totally unmarked for a splendid left-foot volley from 11 yards, bending back Handanovic’s gloves at the near top corner.
Lautaro Martinez curled over from a promising position and Dybala went off to be replaced by Tammy Abraham, but Hakan Calhanoglu came so close on 63 minutes with a free kick that bounced off the crossbar with Rui Patricio well beaten.
Asllani skimmed the upright with his curler from the edge of the area too, while Abraham managed an audacious finish with his back to goal, but straight at Handanovic.
Roma turned the game around completely when Pellegrini floated in a free kick and Chris Smalling got away from his rivals for a header at the back post.
Raoul Bellanova came off the bench, firing over from a promising position, while Abraham turned wide on the counter-attack and Mady Camara’s free kick was not far off at all.
The Giallorossi had not beaten Inter in any competition, home or away, since a 3-1 result at San Siro in February 2017, followed by six draws and five defeats, losing their last four in a row between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
Inter 1-2 Roma
Dimarco 30 (I), Dybala 39 (R), Smalling 76 (R)
Woo go Dybala