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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.
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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.
#3 AS Roma are now unbeaten in 13 league games at the Stadio Olimpico
AS Roma continued their unbeaten streak in home fixtures in the Serie A, extending that run to 13 games with a draw against Inter Milan.
Inter Milan manager Conte had said that taking on a side like AS Roma could be a test of his side's title ambitions this season, and so it proved. AS Roma's resolute defending meant that Inter Milan could scored only twice from their 17 attempted shots.
AS Roma showed character in allowing Inter Milan to do all the running, and in the second half, the hosts were happy to sit back before hitting on the break.
#2 Pau Lopez's brilliance denies Inter Milan a win
Pau Lopez made four saves against Inter Milan, with two of them being extraordinary ones.
The first was from striker Romelu Lukaku's close-range header in the 12th minute. The Belgian forward should have put the visitors ahead from close range, but the AS Roma custodian was quick on his feet and made a brilliant reflex save to tip the ball over the crossbar.
In the second half, Lukaku found Martinez in the box with a perfectly-weighted ball behind the two AS Roma centre-backs. But Lopez thwarted the visitors once again.
Inter Milan did score two past Lopez on the night, but the AS Roma goalkeeper was not culpable for either of them.
#1 Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcelo Brozovic shine in midfield
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcelo Brozovic had a good outing. The AS Roma midfielder picked up an assist for his side's opener while the latter was the creator of both Inter Milan goals.
Mkhitaryan is now the only player alongside Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane to reach eight assists and as many goals this term.
Brozovic, the Inter Milan captain on the night, made five key passes in another assured display in the middle of the park. He also made 29 passes in the Roma half, more than that of any of his team-mates.
Also Read: The 10 highest-paid goalkeepers in the world.
