Roma and Inter arrive at the first direct clash between the Serie A leaders with identical league records: four matches, four victories and 12 points. Roma have conceded only once, while Inter have already scored 13 goals but will travel to Rome without John Stones and Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
On September 19 at 21:30 IST, “Roma” will face “Inter” at “Stadio Olimpico". The fixture is played at 18:00 local Italian time.
Both teams have made perfect starts to Serie A. Roma have beaten “Fiorentina”, “Lecce”, “Atalanta” and “Torino”, scoring 12 goals and conceding only one. Inter have also won all four league matches, scoring 13 and conceding six.
Their European results have been less convincing. Roma drew 1-1 away against “Fenerbahçe”, while Inter lost 2-1 to “Real Madrid” at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Teams Current Form
"Roma" form
Roma have started the Serie A season with four consecutive victories. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team first defeated “Fiorentina” 4-0, then won by the same score away against “Lecce”. A 2-1 home victory over “Atalanta” followed before Roma beat “Torino” 2-0 in the previous league round.
The strongest part of Roma’s start has been their balance. The team has scored 12 league goals while conceding only once. Mile Svilar has been protected by a compact defensive structure, while Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen give the team several different attacking options.
Roma also avoided defeat in their opening UEFA Champions League match, drawing 1-1 away against “Fenerbahçe”. Across their last five official matches, they therefore remain unbeaten.
The latest victory against Torino was another controlled performance. Malen opened the scoring and Niccolò Pisilli added the second goal in stoppage time. Roma did not allow Torino to score and once again demonstrated their defensive stability.
"Inter" form
Inter have also won each of their first four Serie A matches. Cristian Chivu’s team defeated “Monza” 4-1, “Cagliari” 1-0, “Napoli” 3-2 and “Udinese” 5-3.
The attack has been very productive. Inter have scored 13 league goals, with Marcus Thuram, Nicolò Barella, Francesco Pio Esposito and Carlos Augusto among the players already making a significant contribution.
The defensive side has been less stable. Inter have conceded six goals in four league matches and allowed Udinese to score three times at San Siro in the previous round.
Their only defeat of the season came in the UEFA Champions League against “Real Madrid”. Inter created chances at the Bernabéu but lost 2-1 after conceding twice in the first half.
The victory over Udinese also created an important problem before the trip to Rome. John Stones suffered a thigh injury during his first start for Inter and will miss the Roma match.
This potential lineup reflects Roma’s expected return to a stronger Serie A XI after the victory against Torino. Evan Ndicka and Wesley have returned to training, while Mario Hermoso is a fitness doubt after suffering an ankle problem.
"Inter" lineup
3-5-2: Josep Martínez, Manuel Akanji, Benjamin Pavard, Alessandro Bastoni, Andy Diouf, Nicolò Barella, Piotr Zieliński, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto, Marcus Thuram, Francesco Pio Esposito.
John Stones started against Udinese but suffered a confirmed thigh injury and is unavailable for the Roma match. Benjamin Pavard is the replacement because he came directly onto the field for Stones in that same match.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu is also unavailable, but he did not start against Udinese and therefore does not require another change to the Flashscore base XI.
Who will not play
For “Roma”, there is no confirmed unavailable player from the starting XI used against Torino at the time of this forecast.
Mario Hermoso has been training separately because of a minor ankle contusion. His condition is being monitored, but he is expected to remain available.
Evan Ndicka has recovered from the illness that kept him out against Torino and has returned to full training. Since he did not start the previous official match, his return does not automatically change the potential XI above.
For “Inter”, John Stones is unavailable after medical examinations confirmed a muscle strain in the flexor muscles of his left thigh. His recovery is expected to take approximately three to four weeks.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu will also miss the match because of an adductor injury in his right thigh.
Djed Spence remains unavailable.
The most accurate information on the final starting lineups will be available immediately before the meeting.
Statistics for the Last 5 Matches
“Roma”
14.09.26, Serie A: Torino 0-2 Roma
10.09.26, UEFA Champions League: Fenerbahçe 1-1 Roma
05.09.26, Serie A: Roma 2-1 Atalanta
31.08.26, Serie A: Lecce 0-4 Roma
24.08.26, Serie A: Roma 4-0 Fiorentina
In the last five official matches, “Roma” have 4 wins and 1 draw. The team scored 13 goals and conceded 2.
"Inter"
14.09.26, Serie A: Inter 5-3 Udinese
08.09.26, UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid 2-1 Inter
05.09.26, Serie A: Inter 3-2 Napoli
30.08.26, Serie A: Cagliari 0-1 Inter
22.08.26, Serie A: Inter 4-1 Monza
In the last five official matches, “Inter” have 4 wins and 1 defeat. The team scored 14 goals and conceded 8.
Head-to-Head Statistics
05.04.26, Serie A: Inter 5-2 Roma
18.10.25, Serie A: Roma 0-1 Inter
27.04.25, Serie A: Inter 0-1 Roma
20.10.24, Serie A: Roma 0-1 Inter
10.02.24, Serie A: Roma 2-4 Inter
In the last five official head-to-head matches, “Inter” have 4 wins and “Roma” have 1 win. There were no draws. Inter scored 11 goals and Roma scored 5.
Main prediction for the “Roma” - “Inter” game
Roma – Inter Milan: forecast on event 19 September 2026
Total under 3.5 goals
Roma’s defensive record is the strongest argument for a controlled match. Gasperini’s team have conceded only one goal across four Serie A rounds and have kept clean sheets in three of those matches.
Inter have considerably stronger attacking numbers but arrive without Stones and Çalhanoğlu, two absences that can affect both the defensive structure and the progression of the ball through midfield.
Three of the last five head-to-head meetings finished with only one goal. The two exceptions were much more open games, but Roma’s current defensive profile is considerably stronger than it was in those high-scoring meetings.
With both clubs level on 12 points at the top of the standings, the importance of the game should also reduce the incentive to take unnecessary risks early.
For
Additional predictions
Roma – Inter Milan: forecast on event 19 September 2026
Inter double chance
Inter have won four of the last five official meetings with Roma and have won the last two Serie A matches played between these teams at Stadio Olimpico.
Roma’s current form makes a straight Inter victory too aggressive. Gasperini’s team have won all four league matches and remain unbeaten in five official games.
The double-chance market therefore offers protection against a draw while still taking into account Inter’s strong recent head-to-head record.
