Inter Milan 1-0 AS Roma: Late Marcus Thuram goals sends Inter back to top of Serie A

Inter Milan beat Roma 1-0 to return to the top of Serie A, but were made to work for it by the visitors and former manager Jose Mourinho.

Hakan Calhanoglu rattled the crossbar on six minutes as Inter dominated from the outset, but for more than the next hour that was the closest they came to scoring.

Roma had just one chance of note - a Bryan Cristante header well saved - versus several for Inter, but poor finishing from the hosts and resolute Roma defending looked like it might be enough for a draw.

However, Marcus Thuram broke the deadlock late on, guiding home a brilliant Federico Dimarco cross to release the tension and earn the hosts a valuable win.

Victory lifts Inter onto 25 points and back to the top of the table. Roma, with 14 points, sit eighth.

Not literally. Inter ultras handed out thousands of whistles to be blown whenever Romelu Lukaku was on the ball - or the big screen - but once the match started they did not get much use.

Lukaku was largely a spectator, with Roma giving him no service and posing very little attacking threat. He did not have a shot or create a single chance.

Lukaku's exit in the summer left a bad taste in the mouths of Inter fans, hence all the attention on his return. It was fitting therefore that his replacement, Thuram, scored the winner.

When Inter really needed it, he produced a moment of quality to set up Thuram. It came after a tireless display on the left, where he was a constant menace and involved in the creation of several more squandered chances.

Inter Milan: Sommer 7, Pavard 5, Acerbi 6, Bastoni 6, Dumfries 7, Barella 7, Calhanoglu 6, Mkhitaryan 6, Dimarco 7, Thuram 7, Martinez 6. Subs: Darmian 6, Asllani 6, Frattesi 6, De Vrij 6, Augusto 7.

Roma: Patricio 7, Mancini 5, Llorente 6, Ndicka 6, Kristensen 5, Cristante 6, Bove 5, Zalewski 5, Paredes 5, El Shaarawy 4, Lukaku 4. Subs: Celik 6, Belotti 5, Aouar 3, Azmoun n/a.

OFF THE BAR! 6' - Calhanoglu lets fly from 20 yards and rattles the crossbar! Patricio was beaten, but the woodwork denies Calhanoglu.

SAVE! 66' - Cristante gets on the end of a hopeful cross from the Roma left and nearly scores with a powerful header, but Sommer makes an excellent save.

GOAL! INTER MILAN 1-0 ROMA (THURAM) 81' - Dimarco collects a crossfield pass, sends in a brilliant low cross from the left and Thuram meets it at the front post with a guided finish! There it is - Inter finally in front!

OFF THE BAR! 90' - Augusto is invited inside, so goes there, hits a swerving right-footed effort from 30 yards and sees it bounce back off the bar. Patricio did not move.

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