Inter tighten control of the Serie A race with a 5-2 home win over Roma, powered by a Lautaro Martinez brace on the captain’s return from injury. The result moves Inter nine points clear of AC Milan, putting pressure on Stefano Pioli’s team before the meeting with Napoli on Monday.

Martinez had not featured since February, yet the forward delivers immediately at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Just one minute passes before Marcus Thuram finds space on the left and squares for Martinez, who lashes a rising finish beyond goalkeeper Mile Svilar, giving Inter the ideal start against a Roma side chasing European qualification.

The victory follows a difficult spell where Inter go three league matches without a win before the international break. Cristian Chivu’s team avoid going four Serie A games without victory for the first time since the period between March and April 2023, and respond with one of their most clinical attacking displays of the season.

Inter’s five-goal haul continues a long scoring pattern against Roma in Serie A. This is the ninth occasion Inter score at least five times versus the Giallorossi in the competition, at least four more such matches than any other opponent has managed against Roma in the Italian top flight, with Juventus doing so five times.

The match does not stay one-sided early on, though. Roma respond in the 40th minute when Gianluca Mancini attacks a Devyne Rensch cross and beats Thuram to the ball, steering a close-range header past Yann Sommer. Inter answer before the interval, however, as Hakan Calhanoglu is left unmarked and steps forward from distance.

Calhanoglu then unleashes a powerful strike from around 30 yards, sending the ball into the top-left corner during first-half stoppage time. That goal restores Inter’s advantage at a key moment and shifts momentum again. From that point, Roma struggle to contain Inter’s movement and combinations in the final third, especially after the restart.

Seven minutes into the second half, Thuram again links with Martinez inside the penalty area. The Inter captain meets Thuram’s pass and lifts a composed effort over the advancing Svilar. Thuram then scores Inter’s fourth goal on 55 minutes, glancing a deft header from Calhanoglu’s corner into the far corner to extend the lead further.

Nicolo Barella later forces his way into the box and curls into the top-left corner, completing Inter’s tally. Roma still find a late response when Lorenzo Pellegrini drives a low strike past Sommer with 20 minutes remaining. The away team’s second goal offers slight relief, yet the contest is already decided by Inter’s earlier surge.

{TABLE_1}

{TABLE_1}

The statistical picture underlines Inter’s ruthless edge against Roma in this Serie A clash. Inter attempt 17 shots, with nine on target, but post an expected goals figure of only 1.17. Roma register nine efforts and three on target, generating 0.96 expected goals, yet Inter’s finishing quality turns limited chances into a heavy scoreline.

Thuram’s contribution goes far beyond his own goal. The forward provides the assists for both Martinez finishes, becoming the first player to set up the same team-mate twice in a Serie A match for Inter since March 4, 2022, when Barella delivers two assists for Martinez, highlighting the partnership driving Inter’s title push.

The result strengthens Inter’s position at the top of Serie A and ends questions over their brief winless sequence. With Martinez back scoring, Thuram effective as creator and scorer, and Calhanoglu influencing play from midfield, Inter head into the final stages of the campaign with league momentum and a growing advantage over AC Milan.