Daniele De Rossi’s perfect start to his managerial tenure at Roma ended on Saturday as Inter thumped Giallorossi 4-2. Despite leading at halftime, the capital-based outfit lost their first outing at the Stadio Olimpico since a 2-1 defeat to Milan in September.
The game could not have started any worse for Roma as Francesco Acerbi fired Inter 1-0 up in the 17th minute. However, De Rossi rallied his troops quickly as Giallorossi fought back almost instantaneously through Gianluca Mancini, who headed home Paulo Dybala’s set-piece delivery.
When it looked like the scoreline wouldn’t change before halftime, Stephan El Shaarawy turned the tables on Inter with a superb left-footed finish, catapulting Roma to a narrow halftime lead. Little did anyone know the game would turn into a nightmare in the second half.
Only four minutes after the break, Inter restored parity as Marcus Thuram finished with aplomb after a brilliant team effort. The Frenchman was under the spotlight again soon, forcing Angelino’s own goal in his second appearance at the Olimpico.
Roma made a valiant attempt to claw their way back into the match, but Inter’s backline stood firm in the second half. De Rossi’s all-out-attack approach in the final moments left plenty of room at the back, with Alessandro Bastoni’s punishing Giallorossi in stoppages to seal the deal for Inter.
Without further ado, let’s look at our Roma ratings.
Roma (4-3-3)
Rui Patricio – 5.5
The veteran goalkeeper would want to forget this evening as soon as possible. It’s hard to blame him for Roma’s woeful defensive display, but he capitulated four times.
Angelino – 5
Serie A’s intensity proved too much for the RB Leipzig loanee as he struggled to keep up with Inter’s pace on both ends of the pitch and even scored an own goal.
Gianluca Mancini – 6.5
In addition to scoring a thumping first-half header, the dependable center-back fared reasonably well against Lautaro Martinez, keeping the division’s best forward at arm’s length all game.
Dean Huijsen – 6
Asking such a young player to defend against Martinez and Thuram backfired on De Rossi, with the Dutch teenager swept aside by Inzaghi’s deadly duo.
Rick Karsdorp – 5.5
The Dutchman’s disappointing season hit a new low as he proved terminally unable to deal with Federico Dimarco and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the right.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 7
The Roma captain’s renaissance under De Rossi continues. He was by far the most creative midfielder in the home side and picked up two assists to cap off a scintillating showing.
Leandro Paredes – 6
He might want to look up to Pellegrini. Completely ineffective in attack, he was part of the reason Roma lost a foothold in the midfield after the break.
Bryan Cristante – 5.5
If Paredes had a terrible game, describing Cristante’s performance as lackluster would be an understatement. Clueless in possession and slow in defense, he would wish he had spent this night on the bench.
Stephan El Shaarawy – 7
Not only did he slot home a phenomenal left-footed strike, the Italian winger kept Inter’s backline on their heels for most of the game. One of his best matches this term!
Paulo Dybala – 6.5
Despite showing occasional flashes of his brilliance, the Argentine superstar wasn’t at his usual best, giving the ball away cheaply more than once.
Romelu Lukaku – 6
De Rossi can’t complain about the Belgian’s commitment, but other than the physical aspect, he wasn’t up for today’s challenge.
Substitutes
Edoardo Bove – 5
Leonardo Spinazzola – 6.5
Nicola Zalewski – 5.5
Tomasso Baldanzi – 6
Sardar Azmoun – N/A
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