Inter toils to break down Roma with Thuram winner
Marcus Thuram struck a late winner as Inter Milan returned to the top of Serie A with a 1-0 victory over Roma at San Siro.
The hosts completely dominated the first half but failed to score when chances from Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu and Benjamin Pavard went begging.
The only team with the intention of winning the game was Inter and it started to look like it was not its day until Thuram turned home with 10 minutes remaining to condemn Jose Mourinho to a defeat against his former employer.
Inter’s intent to attack Roma was clear from the outset and it almost had the opener six minutes in when Calhanoglu’s rifled effort from 20 yards rattled the crossbar.
Denzel Dumfries’s cross found Thuram inside the area and after seeing his initial header blocked, his second stabbed effort was saved magnificently by the legs of Rui Patricio.
It was wave after wave of Inter attacks as Roma continued to sit back and defend, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan next to go close when his effort from 12 yards flew wide of the target before volleying over from outside the area a couple of minutes later.
Half an hour into the contest, defender Pavard found himself with space inside the area but shot well wide of the target.
The second half started with the same pattern as the first with Inter on the front foot and Thuram headed over from Calhanoglu’s free-kick.
After an hour, Roma had failed to register a single shot but Inter had its second on target after Thuram chested a cross into Lautaro Martinez, with his resulting effort deflected softly into the hands of Patricio.
Roma, which had former Inter striker Romelu Lukaku up front, had a chance to hit the target in the 65th minute as Stephan El Shaarawy was brought down by Alessandro Bastoni on the edge of the box, but Leandro Paredes sent the resulting free-kick straight into the wall.
The away side finally started to create a few opportunities and came close to an opener of its own when Bryan Cristante powered a header towards goal but Yann Sommer was alert to keep the score at 0-0.
The game became a little stretched for the first time and Inter went down the other end and could have scored but Calhanoglu’s shot was deflected wide.
Back came Inter as it looked to crank up the pressure, but Federico Dimarco’s cross into the six-yard box could not be turned home by Thuram.
The decisive moment of the game came on 80 minute when Thuram pounced on Dimarco’s cross and turned in finally to give the hosts a deserved lead.
Carlos Augusto almost added a stunning second, unleashing a 30-yard effort which struck the crossbar.
