Lautaro Martinez rode to Inter Milan’s rescue on Saturday as the Serie A champions fought back from two goals down to force a 2-2 draw at Roma.
With both sides holding perfect records heading into the top-two clash in the capital, it was an early season glimpse of what may well be the Scudetto race this term.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma have arguably been the most impressive team in Italy so far this season, with Donyell Malen’s free-scoring form and a miserly defence giving them four wins from four.
Manu Kone’s double had given Roma a 2-0 lead at half-time but for the second time in a week Cristian Chivu’s side, inspired by Martinez’s brace, showed mettle as the champions fought back from such a deficit.
“There is a lot of positivity in this side, both teams could’ve won it,” Gasperini told DAZN.
“I think we played on level terms… This match must give us confidence going forward.”
Following the announcement earlier in the day of the death of Sandro Mazzola at the age of 83, both sides paid hommage to the former Inter Milan and Italy playmaker prior to kick-off, with the Nerazzurri also sporting black armbands.
Roma raced out of the blocks as Kone sent them ahead with less than six minutes on the clock when he readjusted his body well to rifle home Nahuel Molina’s knockdown.
It was the France midfielder’s first goal of the season as Inter again made a sluggish start that will worry coach Chivu.
The champions had also bounced back from being 2-0 down inside the opening 16 minutes at home to Udinese to emerge 5-3 winners on Monday.
But Inter were not at the races for most of the opening period at the Stadio Olimpico as Paulo Dybala twice threatened to double the hosts’ advantage.
A clever Curtis Jones pass then presented Alessandro Bastoni with a chance at goal seven minutes later, but the Inter defender thrashed the ball against
