AS Roma 2-2 Inter Milan: 5 Talking Points as the hosts force a share of the spoils | Serie A 2020-21
AS Roma held Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw in a riveting top-of-the-table fixture in the 2020-21 Serie A. After the first half witnessed only one goal, the game burst to life in the second half.
Lorenzo Pellegrini gave the hosts the lead in the 17th minute when his shot went in after a slight deflection off an Inter Milan defender.
Milan Skriniar headed in an equaliser for Antonio Conte's men, and Achraf Hakimi put the visitors in the lead, but a late 86th minute header from Gianluca Mancini forced a share of the spoils.
The first half was evenly contested, as both sides moved the ball well. However, the hosts drew first blood courtesy Pellegrini, who was set up by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Serie A's top assist provider this season.
With both sides pushing for a goal, Inter Milan had a goal ruled out for offside and were also denied by a couple of smart saves from Pau Lopez.
Inter Milan's persistence paid off in the 56th minute when Milan Skriniar's powerful header from Marcelo Brozovic's corner found the back of the net. Seven minutes later, the visitors took the lead from an exquisite finish from wing-back Achraf Hakimi.
With Inter Milan's intensity dropping, AS Roma managed to score late on to force a draw. On that note, let us take a look at five talking points from the game.
#5 AS Roma and Inter Milan produce a sixth consecutive draw in the Serie A
The last six meetings between AS Roma and Inter Milan in the league have all ended in stalemates.
Like in this game, AS Roma also snatched a late equaliser (88th minute) in another 2-2 draw in the teams' last league game at the Olimpico.
The two clubs have not been able to get the better of each other since 2017 when Inter Milan beat AS Roma 3-1 interestingly, AS Roma had a 3-1 win in the game that preceded this meeting.
The last time two sides to shared such a streak in the Serie A are Napoli and Torino two and a half decades ago.
#4 Achraf Hakimi becomes the top-scoring defender across Europe's top-five leagues this season
Achraf Hakimi's second-half strike that gave Inter Milan the lead was one for the highlight reels.
The defender picked up the ball near the box, cut inside with his right foot and unleashed a powerful strike that hit the crossbar before bulging the net.
That was Hakimi's sixth league goal this term, which is more than that of any other defender in Europe's top-five leagues. The Inter Milan defender has also assisted four goals in the league this season.
Also Read: 10 teams that have conceded the fewest goals in the 21st century.