Lautaro Martinez completed a quick Inter counterattack from a wasted Roma corner to secure victory at the Stadio Olimpico despite losing two stars to injury in the first half hour.

The Giallorossi had Paulo Dybala back in the starting lineup after a month’s break and Artem Dovbyk overcame a knee problem, but Stephan El Shaarawy and Alexis Saelemaekers were injured. Piotr Zielinski, Kristjan Asllani and Tajon Buchanan did not travel, but Nicolò Barella returned after a muscle injury.

See how the game developed in the live blog.

Marcus Thuram hit Mile Svilar’s gloves after a successful team move, but Yann Sommer was very lucky to escape with a howler when Lorenzo Pellegrini’s cross-shot bounced off his gloves and onto the post.

Inter lost Hakan Calhanoglu to a left thigh problem and just moments later Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s powerful shot went over Svilar and hit the top of the crossbar.

Simone Inzaghi had to go to the bench again as Francesco Acerbi was also limping with muscle problems and was replaced by Stefan de Vrij.

Thuram had a timid red card appeal when he went down in a sandwich between Evan N’Dicka and Bryan Cristante just outside the penalty area.

Lorenzo Pellegrini saw his long-range shot from Dybala’s through ball hit Sommer’s gloves, but Inter took the lead after just over an hour.

It was a Roma corner that was beaten away by Sommer when Nicola Zalewski stumbled, allowing Frattesi to go on the counterattack until his pullback was also not properly intercepted by Zeki Celik, allowing Lautaro Martinez to fire in from 16 yards. It was his 133rd goal for Inter in all competitions, equaling the club record set by Istvan Nyers for a foreign player.

Shortly afterwards it was almost 2-0 when Thuram triggered Frattesi’s offside trap with a through ball and buried it over Svilar, but Celik made a crucial block and prevented Federico Dimarco’s throw-in.

Benjamin Pavard threw himself in the way of Dybala’s attempt to clear the ball, and from the following corner Dovbyk’s header went wide of the near post.

Svilar was able to parry Denzel Dumfries’ angled shot with one hand and then was alert again after Mario Hermoso let in a cross.

With the last shot of the game, Sommer managed to parry a snap shot from Matias Soule.

Rome 0:1 Inter

Lautaro Martinez 60 (I)

99

3

79′

5

23

19

4

79′

7

17

53′

59

72′

11

21

79′

1

95

71′

28

32

15

27′

36

71′

20

12′

22

23

10

72′

9

14

15

16

98

12

89

26

66

61

53′

35

72′

18

79′

22

79′

28

79′

8

30

13

99

12

42

52

16

12′

6

27′

2

71′

31

71′

11

72′