Inter and Roma came into this game in very good form but it was Roma who impressed the most in one of the toughest away games in Serie A. The visitors dominated the first half but then Inter managed to claw back the initiative in the second. This tactical analysis will look at the attacking tactics of both sides as well as Roma’s defensive setup.
Lineups
There were no real big surprises in Inter’s team given the absences of Roberto Gagliardini and Nicolò Barella so Borja Valero joined Marcelo Brozović and Matías Vecino in midfield. Otherwise, Antonio Conte continued with his 3-5-2 and picked an expected team with Cristiano Biraghi preferred to Kwadwo Asamoah at left wing-back.
Roma, on the other hand, surprised some people as Paulo Fonseca chose Nicolò Zaniolo to play up top on his own. This decision was made after Edin Džeko was doubtful with illness, but the Bosnian at least made it onto the bench. Zaniolo was preferred to Nikola Kalinić and his inclusion gave Roma an interesting dimension. Other than that, Roma’s team was expected with the wonderful Lorenzo Pellegrini captaining the side in Alessandro Florenzi’s absence.
Tactical analysis: Roma’s attacking mechanisms
Roma set up in a 4-2-3-1 but their movements in possession created a very different shape. The two full-backs, initially Davide Santon and Aleksandar Kolarov, provided width while the two wingers, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Diego Perotti moved inside to play in more narrow positions.
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