Mancini Honoured by Curva Sud After Rejecting Inter Move

Roma's 2–2 draw with Inter at the Olimpico featured two goals each from Koné and Lautaro. The match precedes a three-week break for international fixtures, which will take many Roma players away from the club's Trigoria training ground. The squad will return to training on Monday afternoon at reduced numbers as national team commitments continue.

Roma will return to training on Monday afternoon following a draw against Inter, during which the team produced a strong first-half display. Gasperini's squad will have one day of rest before resuming work, though several players will be absent as they are away on international duty during the break. Roma's next competitive action comes in less than a month, with two significant fixtures lined up. The club will face Como on 11 October before travelling to face Real Madrid in the Champions League on 14 October.

Matías Soulé expressed frustration after Roma's 2–2 draw with Inter, saying the team had every reason to believe they would win the match. 'I'm really tired and a bit disappointed,' he told DAZN. 'We were ahead and we drew.' Soulé credited head coach Gasperini with helping him overcome a pubic bone injury that limited his training during the previous season. 'I feel very good, I've got past the issue with pubalgia. Last year I couldn't train properly, but this year is different,' he said. He acknowledged the challenge of playing on the left wing rather than his preferred right flank, where Paulo Dybala operates. 'Playing on the left I need to adapt, I'm learning. There's Paulo on the right who makes a difference and I need to try to give my contribution.' Soulé noted that the small gap between Roma and Inter remains significant. 'It's still early, they've been the strongest for years. There's disappointment because we were ahead but this draw should give us extra motivation,' he said. On the competition for places in the squad, he added: 'Obviously we're all available, we're a very competitive team and whoever starts gives their all, just like those who come on in the second half. The level has risen a lot compared to last year.'

Manu Koné scored twice in the first half as Roma drew 2-2 with Inter at the Olimpico, a result that keeps both teams level at the top of Serie A on 13 points. Koné's performance in the opening 45 minutes was the dominant feature of a thrilling encounter: he recovered possession relentlessly, drove dangerous counterattacks and positioned himself perfectly to exploit vertical spaces. His two goals came from Paulo Dybala's creativity down the right, with Nahuel Molina's header setting up Koné's first-half brace. The opening goal arrived after 6 minutes—a perfectly-timed first-touch volley that Martinez could not stop. The second came at the 37-minute mark, a precise finish after Gianluca Mancini's soft touch. A lengthy VAR check from Lissone confirmed the goal's validity before the Olimpico erupted. With this performance, Koné entered Roma's history books as only the fifth player ever to score a first-half brace in a Serie A match against Inter at home, joining an exclusive group: Roberto Pruzzo (1980), Ciccio Graziani (1986), Abel Balbo (1995) and Francesco Totti (2013). The display demonstrated Koné's emergence as a complete midfielder—dominant in both defensive interception and lethal in the final third. Inter reorganised under Chivu in the second half and Lautaro Martinez's brace pulled the match level, handing the visitors another comeback. Koné's removal at the 60th minute—replaced by Niccolò Pisilli after an hour played at unsustainable intensity—coincided with Roma's loss of grip on the encounter. The draw extends Roma's drought in home fixtures against Inter, which now stretches back to 2016. Before the international break, the message is clear: Roma are genuine Serie A title contenders, and they have discovered in Koné a dominant force capable of controlling midfield while also proving decisive in front of goal.

Roma drew 2–2 with Inter at the Olimpico in a match shaped by a stark contrast between the sides' first and second halves. Manu Koné scored twice for Roma—once to open the scoring early and again to double the lead—but Lautaro Martínez levelled before the interval ended and added a second in the second half, when Roma's resistance crumbled. The hosts began with intensity and control under Gasperini, but a pattern of conceding goals immediately after the restart proved decisive once more. Several Roma players arrived for the match with depleted energy; the upcoming international break will offer a chance to recharge. Mancini had a difficult afternoon and took responsibility for Roma's defensive lapses, notably on Martínez's first goal. Balerdi was composed and physical against Thuram, lasting just over an hour before withdrawal. Hermoso maintained positional discipline but lacked sharpness in execution. Wesley patrolled the flank tirelessly, shutting down Dimarco's advances repeatedly. Cristante operated as the engine room, covering more ground than any other Roma player. Koné's two-goal display was the bright spark—a particularly sharp irony given he could have joined Inter instead—though his early withdrawal raised questions about fatigue management. Dybala orchestrated Roma's attacking play in the first half with incisive passes that set up Koné's goals and fulfilled defensive duties, though he too faded after the break. Soulé provided quality when he found space, running the full 90 minutes with consistency. Malen troubled Bastoni with his movement and nearly broke through. Molina crafted the assist for Koné's opener with an impeccable header after reading the play perfectly. N'Dicka entered at the hour mark and worked to hold the defensive line steady, earning a yellow card for a necessary foul on Thuram. Pisilli came on at 59 minutes but lacked Koné's substance and appeared tentative. Rensch struggled to impose himself when Inter pressed hard. Ghilardi joined the proceedings at 65 minutes and quickly picked up a yellow card; his challenge on Thuram was insufficient. Koulierakis received a caution immediately upon entering late on. Svilar made a miraculous save from a corner and could not be faulted for the two Martínez finishes, maintaining his high standards throughout. Gasperini had urged the team to tighten up after the interval, yet Roma conceded again in the second half and allowed Inter back into the contest. The manager salvaged a point against a strong opponent, though the manner of the collapse—defensive errors and fatigue after 59 minutes of substitutions—left room for frustration. The international break arrives at a timely moment to restore freshness across the squad.

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma should be satisfied with their performance against Inter in Serie A's fifth matchday, despite frustration at conceding an equaliser. The coach assessed the 2–2 draw as evidence of progress, noting that both teams could have won the match. "Penso che sia uscita una partita dove entrambe a un certo punto potevano vincere," he said, adding that Inter's early second-half goal shifted momentum decisively in their favour. Gasperini stressed that Roma showed character by never surrendering despite the setback, maintaining their threat throughout and creating chances even after going behind. Gasperini attributed some fatigue to the early stages of the season, noting that Manu Koné has not yet completed a full 90 minutes owing to his involvement in the World Cup. He confirmed that Gianluca Mancini was withdrawn because of cramp-related tiredness, and that Mario Hermoso was introduced to refresh the team's defensive energy. The coach acknowledged a recurring problem: conceding early in the second half for the third time this season. He described the goal as both superficial and presumptuous in how it was conceded, given Roma's commanding position beforehand. However, he praised the squad's resilience, pointing out that even at 2–1 down with several players fatigued, Roma remained engaged and fought to win. Gasperini said: "Noi dobbiamo essere contenti del percorso che stiamo facendo e anche della qualità che mettiamo in queste partite non solamente per l'entusiasmo e la voglia di fare. In questa squadra ci sono tante energie positive e dobbiamo continuare su questa strada." He noted that Roma dominated the first half both technically and physically, exploiting spaces and creating danger on the counter-attack. The coach flagged a need to rotate the squad more extensively, saying he has relied on a core block from last season to allow new players to settle. He indicated he has the confidence to introduce more players from the outset, potentially using 20 squad members across fixtures. Gasperini observed that the gap to Inter remains bridgeable, with margins for improvement existing for all teams, and stressed that Roma's physical and athletic standard is high.