Lautaro Martinez Brace Rescues Inter in 2-2 Roma Draw

Inter Milan cannot stop falling behind, and their captain cannot stop rescuing them. On Saturday night at the Stadio Olimpico, the defending Serie A champions went two goals down for the third league game in a row. A Lautaro Martinez brace in the second half salvaged a 2-2 draw against Roma in the first top-of-the-table clash of the season.

Manu Kone gave the home side the perfect start. The France midfielder adjusted his body to rifle Nahuel Molina's knockdown past the goalkeeper with less than six minutes on the clock, his first goal of the season. Paulo Dybala then twice went close to doubling Roma's lead before Kone reacted quickest inside the six-yard box to turn home a second before halftime, after Gianluca Mancini's involvement in the buildup survived a VAR check for offside.

Inter had chances of their own in a frantic first half. Marcus Thuram had a golden opportunity in the 26th minute but fired straight at Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar, and seven minutes later Alessandro Bastoni thrashed a tight-angle effort against the post after a clever pass from Curtis Jones. At 2-0 down at the break, the visitors looked beaten, and the Lautaro Martinez brace that followed felt a long way off.

The comeback started seconds after the restart. Martinez swept in Thuram's cutback to halve the deficit in the 46th minute, and with 11 minutes left he volleyed home the equalizer to complete the Lautaro Martinez brace and a share of the spoils. Both sides arrived in Rome unbeaten with four wins from four, and both left with their perfect starts ended. The draw keeps Roma and Inter on 13 points from five games, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side top on goal difference and one point clear of Cagliari, who won 1-0 at Udinese through a Daniel Maldini goal. Bologna were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Torino.

Inter keep falling into the same hole

The pattern is hard to miss now. Inter trailed Napoli 2-0 before winning 3-2, fell behind Udinese 2-0 inside the opening 16 minutes before storming back to win 5-3, and then watched Kone put Roma two up in Rome. According to match reports, it was the third straight Serie A game in which Cristian Chivu's side conceded first and had to chase, and only another Lautaro Martinez brace kept the unbeaten run alive.

Martinez did not hide from it afterwards. Speaking to DAZN, the striker said: "The first half needs to be wiped out, because we didn't have the right attitude. From the restart, we changed mentality, and in a game at this level it becomes difficult if you give away a whole half." He called it a good point given Roma's strength, but warned that Inter cannot keep starting games this way. For all the criticism of the first half, the Lautaro Martinez brace was a reminder of why Inter built their attack around him.

Roma may have their own regrets. Gasperini substituted Kone in the 60th minute alongside Mancini, a decision that drew scrutiny with the midfielder having scored twice and Roma still in control. The call looked costly once the Lautaro Martinez brace was complete. Roma had conceded only one league goal in four and a half matches before Saturday, while Inter had scored 13 going into the game. Neither defense played like those numbers after halftime.

The result also underlines how tight the early title race looks. Roma and Inter sit joint top, Cagliari lurk a point behind, and with the international break now pausing club football, Chivu has two weeks to fix Inter's slow starts. Another Lautaro Martinez brace papered over the cracks in Rome, but the champions cannot keep relying on rescue acts every week.

A night marked by tribute

The match was played under the shadow of sad news. Sandro Mazzola, the Inter and Italy great, died on Saturday aged 83, and both teams paid homage to the former playmaker before kickoff, with the Nerazzurri wearing black armbands. Martinez opened his DAZN interview with the tribute: "Mazzola was a legend for Inter and all Italian football, so we send support to his family."

As reported by Football Italia, the Lautaro Martinez brace keeps Inter unbeaten heading into the international break, but Chivu will know the slow starts have to stop. Roma stay top and will feel they let two points slip after dominating the first 45 minutes. On this evidence, the road to the Scudetto runs through Rome and Milan.