Jose Mourinho’s defensive-minded approach backfired on Roma as Inter grabbed a well-deserved late winner in Sunday’s derby. Marcus Thuram’s 81st-minute strike condemned Giallorossi to a 1-0 defeat at Giuseppe Meazza, curtailing their three-match winning streak in Serie A.
Mourinho wasn’t in the dugout after receiving a red card against Monza last weekend. But Roma played like he was. Giallorossi had no ambition to go forward, especially in the first half. They didn’t attempt a single shot in the first 45 minutes and were lucky not to concede, considering Inter had several clear-cut chances.
Despite spending most of the second half chasing the ball around their penalty area, Roma created a massive chance to upset Meazza. However, Yann Sommer pulled off a marvelous save to deny Bryan Cristante’s header from point-blank. As the game approached crunch time, Inter intensified their pressure.
It paid off in the 81st minute as Thuram latched onto Federico Dimarco’s low cross, hammering the ball into the roof of the net to fire Inter back to the top of the standings.
Let’s look at our player ratings.
Roma (3-5-2)
Rui Patricio – 7
Brilliant goalkeeping from the veteran! If it wasn’t for his crucial interventions, Roma would’ve left Meazza with at least three goals in their net.
Gianluca Mancini – 6.5
Did a decent job keeping Lautaro Martinez quiet and was as confident in the air as ever. Had some shaky moments when in possession but got away with no-nonsense clearances.
Diego Llorente – 7
Undoubtedly Roma’s best defender tonight! His tackles were spot on, his positioning was perfect, and he never took any risks with the ball at his feet.
Evan Ndicka – 6
Far worse than his comrades. Slow to react on the loose balls in dangerous areas on several occasions. Thuram gave him all sorts of headaches.
Nicola Zalewski – 5.5
For an attacking-minded full-back, he spent far too much time on his own half. Denzel Dumfries gave him a slip too many times and kept him quiet on the opposite end of the field.
Bryan Cristante – 6
Worked his socks off to help Roma endure the siege, making numerous vital tackles and interceptions in front of his goal. Unlucky to see Sommer thwart his towering head with one of the saves of the season.
Leandro Paredes – 6
Not afraid to get his hands dirty, the Argentine delivered an energetic performance in the middle of the park. Too bad much of his effort was defensively oriented.
Edoardo Bove – 5.5
Following a stunning performance against Slavia Prague, the youngster showed signs of fatigue, failing to gain Roma a foothold in the midfield. Did nothing worth mentioning attacking-wise.
Rasmus Kristensen – 5.5
Massively struggled against Dimarco. In addition to losing sight of the Inter left-back for the goal, he was always on the back foot, especially when asked to go forward.
Stephan El Shaarawy – 5.5
Probably the only Roma player with a genuine ambition to do something concrete in the front third. However, a lack of support from his teammates clipped his wings.
Romelu Lukaku – 4
His night was perfect as far as Inter fans are concerned. But the most in-form Roma striker let down his side with his worst performance since arriving from Chelsea.
Substitutes
Zeki Celik – 6
Houssem Aouar – 5
Barely had a proper touch with the ball after coming on.
Andrea Belotti – 4
Nowhere to be seen but joined the fray too late.
Sardar Azmoun – N/A
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