Internazionale secured a narrow 1–0 win over Roma in a tactically charged contest that saw Simone Inzaghi’s side punish Roma’s high defensive line early before weathering heavy pressure in the second half. Bonny’s early goal proved decisive, while Roma missed several clear chances to equalise. Israel Schmidt de Azevedo analyses how Inter’s compact defensive structure and Roma’s risk-taking approach shaped a high-tempo tactical battle.
Roma started with an aggressive high press on the attacking third, pushing forward in numbers. Paulo Dybala led the press centrally as the centre-forward but often drifted left as a second attacker. When this happened, Mohamed Koné advanced to lead the line, forming a pressing trio with Matías Soulé on the right. At times, Dybala and Koné worked as a pair ahead of a midfield line of three — Lorenzo Pellegrini on the left, Soulé on the right, and Bryan Cristante central — while Wesley and Mehmet Çelik tucked into deeper positions near the centre-backs to stabilise transitions.
Inter countered this intensity by stretching the field. Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni pushed wide from the back line, with Francesco Acerbi staying central and Hakan Çalhanoğlu dropping between them to build from deep. Nicolò Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan moved closer to help progress the ball, while Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco provided width higher up. Lautaro Martínez floated across the front line, supporting Bonny and offering an extra passing outlet when Inter needed to bypass Roma’s press.
Roma’s risky approach was exposed early. In the sixth minute, Barella released a perfect long through ball to Bonny, who sprinted in behind from midfield. With no defender close enough to challenge, he steadied himself and finished past the goalkeeper to give Inter a 1–0 lead.
In the 13th minute, Roma came close to equalising when Cristante met a Dybala corner with a powerful header that flew narrowly wide.
When playing out, Roma spread their centre-backs wide and pushed both central midfielders higher. Pellegrini and Soulé operated narrowly, while Wesley and Çelik pushed forward as wingers, with Dybala up front. Inter’s response was compact, keeping Lautaro and Bonny high while the midfield three pressed behind them. Dumfries and Dimarco tracked Roma’s wide threats diligently.
In the 14th minute, Bastoni intercepted a pass from Ndicka and surged forward before laying off to Mkhitaryan, whose shot went over the bar. Roma again threatened from a set piece at 27 minutes when Ndicka rose highest but sent his header over the crossbar.
The first half settled into a pattern of Inter’s control through shape and Roma’s attempts to build pressure. When attacking, Inter pushed Dumfries and Dimarco into second-attacker roles, while Barella and Mkhitaryan moved wider to form a midfield box. Lautaro dropped deep to link play, almost as a classic No. 10. Çalhanoğlu operated just ahead of the defence, recycling possession and dictating tempo. Roma’s defensive structure shifted into a diamond, with Dybala at the tip, Pellegrini and Soulé slightly behind, and Koné protecting Cristante at the base.
Roma began to dominate possession in the latter part of the first half, moving their centre-backs high near midfield. Pellegrini and Soulé stayed wide, supported by the advancing wing-backs Wesley and Çelik. Dybala remained central, looking for gaps behind Inter’s compact back five. Inter dropped deep into two banks — a back five and a midfield trio — with Lautaro and Bonny staying advanced to threaten on the counter.
Early in the second half, Inter nearly doubled their lead. At 49 minutes, Bastoni’s first-touch long ball released Dumfries clean through, but the wing-back’s shot was saved. Roma responded almost immediately.
At 52 minutes, Wesley slipped a precise through ball to Dybala after a clever spin from Koné, but Yann Sommer denied him with a reflex stop. From the ensuing corner, Pellegrini’s delivery found Hermoso, whose header bounced up awkwardly, allowing Sommer to claim it. Three minutes later, Dybala forced another save from a free-kick.
Roma’s pressure intensified. Dybala’s work rate created another chance in the 58th minute when Çelik’s shot drifted just wide. A minute later, Sommer misjudged a corner, allowing Soulé to head the ball toward Dovbyk, who nodded over from close range — a huge missed chance for Roma to equalise.
In the 64th minute, Mancini fed Soulé, who cut inside and shot weakly at Sommer. Inter eventually regained control. In the 71st minute, Bastoni’s volley from distance deflected off Wesley and flashed just wide.
Roma’s missed chances came back to haunt them in the final stages. In the 84th minute, a defensive mix-up allowed Davide Frattesi to burst down the line and cross for Mkhitaryan, whose effort struck a defender. Two minutes later, Carlos Augusto’s header fell to Akanji, but his shot sailed over. Roma’s last hope came in stoppage time when Lewis Ferguson’s powerful long-range effort whistled past the post.
The match ended 1–0 to Inter after a chaotic second half. Roma created multiple openings but lacked composure in front of goal. Inter’s early precision and defensive resilience made the difference, as Simone Inzaghi’s team continues to evolve, showing strength in transition but vulnerability when forced to defend deep.
Embed from Getty ImagesBy Israel Schmidt de Azevedo
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