Inter Bounces Back in the Champions League After the Derby. Roma Defeated in Manchester
Inter bounced back immediately after their derby loss and secured their second consecutive victory in Europe, defeating Feyenoord by a decisive 3-0 margin. The Nerazzurri got off to a strong start and opened the scoring as early as the 8th minute: Bisseck received the ball in the attacking third, moved toward the top of the box, and unleashed a splendid curling left-footed shot that found the back of the net past Ernst. Feyenoord tried to respond but left space for Inter’s counterattacks, and in the 34th minute, Inter doubled their lead. Pio Esposito scored the goal, rising highest to head in a cross from Spence—which had been deflected by a defender—and putting Chivu’s team up 2-0 at halftime.
Inter were well-organized, conceded few chances, and proved particularly incisive in the final third. The Nerazzurri maintained control of the match in the second half as well, and in the 54th minute, they scored their third goal: Zielinski took matters into his own hands and, from the edge of the box, fired a precise left-footed shot that grazed the post and found the back of the net. Chivu’s team also scored a fourth goal through Pio Esposito, set up by Dimarco, but the goal was disallowed because the forward was offside by just a few centimeters. In the closing minutes, Inter managed the game without any particular difficulty and took home three important points, climbing to six points in the standings and making up for their slip-up against Milan in the best possible way.
It was a decidedly more bitter evening, however, for Roma, who suffered yet another comeback in the Champions League and fell 3-2 at Old Trafford against Manchester United. The Giallorossi got off to a blistering start and capitalized on the hosts’ struggles, taking the lead in the 11th minute through Soulé, who skillfully controlled a cross from Mora in the box and beat Lammens. Gasperini’s team also doubled their lead in the 17th minute, when Malen converted a penalty awarded for a handball by Heaven. Roma came close to scoring a third goal on several occasions, again through their two scorers, while United posed a threat only through Bruno Fernandes, who failed to hit the target from a good position.
In the second half, however, the momentum of the match shifted. In the 55th minute, the home team was awarded a penalty: Vasquez initially blocked Bruno Fernandes’ shot, but the referee ordered a retake because Cristante’s knee was over the line at the moment of the shot. From the spot, the Portuguese player made no mistake on his second attempt and brought the game back to life. United gained confidence and nearly equalized through Mbeumo, who hit both posts in quick succession without managing to find the net. Roma held on until the 83rd minute, when the final collapse came. Cunha capitalized on a mistake by Balerdi in the box and scored the 2-2 equalizer from close range. A few minutes later, the Brazilian forward completed the comeback with a powerful shot from inside the box, taking advantage of another defensive error by the Argentine. The two goals in just a few minutes gave Manchester United a 3-2 victory, ending a nearly two-month winless streak. In stoppage time, Cunha was sent off for a rough tackle on Balerdi, but the result remained unchanged.
