AS Roma Vs Inter Milan [2-2] Serie A 2026/2027: When Undefeated Giallorossi Attack Met Nerazzurri Comeback Resilience - Tactical Analysis

AS Roma hosted Inter Milan at the Stadio Olimpico for their fifth fixture of the 2026/2027 Serie A campaign, and the clash ended in a very entertaining 2-2 draw.

It was much less entertaining for Roma and their fans, though, as they took the lead early in the match and consolidated it with a second goal before failing to protect their lead and eventually finishing with a draw.

Despite that, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side remain at the top of the Serie A standings thanks to their very positive start to the campaign.

Nevertheless, it was frustrating for them to lose their advantage after they had been very convincing in attack here, especially during the first-half.

On the other side, Inter Milan succeeded in making another comeback after the ones made against Udinese and Napoli, confirming once again that they have a powerful team, capable of turning the table on any opponent in the league.

That said, I Nerazzurri’s defensive issues, especially in the first half of games, are becoming a serious dilemma for Cristian Chivu, who should fix these defensive fragilities as soon as possible.

In this tactical analysis, we explore Roma’s attacking plans and how they succeeded in surprising Inter Milan with two goals in the first half and why they were successful in doing so.

AS Roma Vs Inter Milan Lineups & Formations

AS Roma Lineup Vs Inter Milan

Gasperini started the match in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal and a defensive line of three centre-backs: Gianluca Mancini on the right, Leonardo Balerdi in the centre, and Mario Hermoso on the left.

The midfield line featured Wesley França and Nahuel Molina as left and right wing-backs, with Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné as central midfielders.

In attack, Gasperini used Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala as wide playmakers, with Donyell Malen as the main striker.

Inter Milan Lineup Vs AS Roma

Chivu lined his team up in their usual 3-5-2 formation, with Josep Martínez occupying his usual spot in goal behind the centre-backs Alessandro Bastoni, Manuel Akanji, and Yann Bisseck.

Federico Dimarco and Andy Diouf started as the two wing-backs, while the midfield was made up of Nicolò Barella, Piotr Zieliński, and Curtis Jones.

In attack, Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram started as the two strikers.

Roma Creativity & The Impactful Attacking Role Of Midfielders

Roma started the match immediately with the right attitude as they made sure to keep Inter Milan inside their own half and impose possession from the starting minutes.

This helped Roma get even more confident about their ability to score early and dominate the game.

They were quickly able to do so and reconfirm the remarkable chemistry that has been created in the team since last season between the attackers and midfielders.

Roma’s mix of creative players like Dybala and Soulé with the more direct players like Malen, Cristante, and Koné made the difference during this goal action.

This mix of creative players and others who are excellent in finishing and movement without the ball can be considered one of the biggest achievements of Gasperini at Roma so far.

He made sure that he used the talent and creativity of players like Dybala and Soulé at the service of clinical goalscorers like Malen to create a dangerous attacking phase for his team, knowing that similar creative players used to prefer individual choices in the past instead of organised team play.

In fact, this is one of the reasons for Roma’s success in the last season and at the start of this season: more team play and fewer individual solutions in attack.

Added to that, the goal action also highlights the impactful role of Roma’s midfielders and how they actively contribute to the goalscoring process even on big occasions like this one.

Koné’s secret penetration towards the box allowed him to get into that area without being marked while Dybala was crossing the ball in the direction of Malen and Molina.

The passing combination between Molina and Dybala is another proof of the unselfish solutions and understanding between both players, despite the recent integration of Molina within the team.

Koné was then perfectly positioned to receive the backward pass from Molina and score a beautiful half-volley that rewarded Roma for their team play, quick passing and re-positioning inside the box, as it rewarded Koné for his intelligent movement arriving into the box at the right moment.