Paulo Dybala and Chris Smalling were in top form as Roma upset Inter 2-1 at the San Siro. Both players netted crucial goals for their side, which has now moved up to fourth place in the Serie A. For the hosts, it was another night to forget, as the Inter attack struggled to create many chances while losing their second straight match as favorites.
Inter
Samir Handanovic – 6
Handanovic made several decent saves and played well throughout the match. He got a hand on Roma’s first-half equalizer, but Paulo Dybala’s shot was simply too powerful to keep out of the net.
Milan Skriniar – 5
The Croatian was having a decent performance until the 75th minute, when Smalling absolutely dominated him in the air, out-jumping the centre-back to score the game-winning goal.
Francesco Acerbi – 7
In his second consecutive start, Acerbi was rather solid as the centre-most defender. He did not get many one-on-one opportunities, and his passing was quite good, but he did waste a brilliant open header on a free kick.
Alessandro Bastoni – 7
Bastoni had a decent showing on the left side, neutralizing Mehmet Zeki Celik and largely shutting down Roma’s attack in the right channel.
Denzel Dumfries – 6.5
Early on, Dumfries looked like the most dangerous player on the pitch, making quality runs down the sideline. However, as the match progressed, he became less and less consistent and was eventually removed.
Federico Dimarco – 8
After a slow start to the match, Dimarco made an incisive run into the box, where he received the ball from Nicolo Barella. The wing-back took a decent first-time shot, slotting the ball into the near post to put his side up 1-0.
Nicolo Barella – 8
Barella was at his best, creating chances on the offensive end and closing down Roma’s midfield when out of possession. His pass to Dimarco in the first half was perfect, exploiting the space on the backline to assist the opening goal.
Hakan Calhanoglu – 7.5
The Turk was fairly quiet during open play, but his delivery on free kicks and corners was a sight to behold. He whipped in balls with pinpoint accuracy, creating several chances for the Nerazzurri.
Kristjan Asllani – 6.5
Earning his first start for his new club, the deep-lying playmaker struggled to leave a mark on proceedings. While it was a difficult match for the 20-year-old, his work rate was exceptional, and he was well-received by the fans at the San Siro.
Edin Dzeko – 5
Dzeko seemingly scored an early opener for Inter, but VAR determined that the Bosnian was in an offside position before he took the shot. After the goal was called back, he disappeared from the match, failing to manage a shot in 90 minutes.
Lautaro Martinez – 5.5
It was a disappointing day for the Argentine, who struggled to find the ball in the attacking third. Often, he had to resort to dropping into the midfield to help his side venture forward.
Substitutes
Joaquin Correa – N/A
Robin Gosens – N/A
Henrikh Mkhiaryan – N/A
Valentin Carboni – N/A
Raoul Bellanova – N/A
Just Chris Smalling scoring the winner in Roma vs. Inter ?
(via @CBSSportsGolazo)pic.twitter.com/6T4h7a3m2D
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 1, 2022
Roma
Rui Patricio – 5.5
The Spanish ‘keeper really should have done better against Dimarco. Patricio hesitated when the wing-back received the ball, seemingly about to dive to his left, allowing Dimarco to put a soft shot into the back of the net at the near corner.
Gianluca Mancini – 6
Playing in Roma’s compact three-man backline, Mancini did well to restrict the space that Lautaro had to operate in, though Dimarco got the better of him at times.
Roger Ibanez – 7
It wasn’t a perfect performance for the Brazilian, but he played exceptionally well when facing Dzeko, whose only shot was called back by the VAR for an offside position.
Chris Smalling – 8
Playing as the most central defender, Smalling had a fantastic performance. He won a few aerial challenges and took care of the ball when in possession. Late in the match, he out-jumped Skriniar on a free kick, heading home the game-winning goal.
Leonardo Spinazzola – 7
The wing-back was on the ball quite often for Roma, and he came up big for his side when it mattered. He sent in a perfect cross to the back-post in the first half, assisting Dybala for the equalizer. Overall, it was a solid performance for Spinazzola, who continues to produce in key matches.
Mehmet Zeki Celik – 6
Celik did well defending against set pieces, but his passing left a lot to be desired, and he failed to add much to the Roma offense.
Bryan Cristante – 5
The defensive midfielder had more than a few poor moments, at one point getting burned on the dribble by Lautaro. He also made a few clumsy challenges and seemed out of sync with the rest of the midfield.
Nemanja Matic – 6.5
Playing in a classic central midfield role, Matic roamed freely from side-to-side in the middle third of the pitch. He made an error or two, but, overall, it was a solid day at the office for the 34-year-old.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 7
Like Calhanoglu, Pellegrini struggled from open play, but it was his service that really mattered. Late in the second half, he fired a beautiful cross in from a free kick, allowing Smalling head in the winning goal.
Nicolo Zaniolo – 6
Zaniolo had a few decent moments, but his distribution was atrocious, and he really struggled against Inter’s physical back-three.
Paulo Dybala – 8
Toward the end of the first half, Inter began taking their foot off the gas, and Dybala made them pay. After Spinazzola sent a cross to the back post, the forward ripped a wicked first-touch volley, powering the ball past Handanovic and into the net.
Substitutes
Tammy Abraham – 5
After replacing Dybala in the second half, Abraham’s finishing was rather lackluster. He got into decent positions, but the forward struggled to put the ball into the back of the net.