Inter snatch draw at Lazio, Lukaku secures Roma sixth with Genoa win

MILAN: Serie A champions Inter Milan snatched a 1-1 home draw against Europa League qualifying hopefuls Lazio with a late header from Denzel Dumfries on Sunday, while AS Roma secured sixth place after a Romelu Lukaku header gave them a 1-0 win against Genoa.

Inter have 93 points, while Lazio are in seventh place with 60 points. Roma, with 63 points, are guaranteed at least a Europa League spot next season, but could yet sneak into the Champions League if Atalanta finish fifth and win the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Roma have a superior head-to-head record against Lazio, meaning they cannot be overtaken in the final round of the season. Daichi Kamada broke the deadlock for the visitors in the 32nd minute with a low shot into the corner from just outside the box after both sides had several chances.

The two teams continued to attack after the break, with Dumfries beating his marker at the far post to head home the equaliser from a free kick in the 87th minute. After the match, Inter finally lifted the Scudetto trophy in front of the home fans almost a month after winning it. “We’ve been celebrating since April 22. We saw millions of Inter fans in the streets. I had won a Scudetto as a player and 24 years passed, now to win it as a coach is very satisfying,” manager Simone Inzaghi told DAZN.

Hosts Roma went down to 10 men in the second half against Genoa after Leandro Paredes received two yellow cards in quick succession, but Lukaku secured the win in the 79th minute with a well-placed header from a cross.

For Igor Tudor’s Lazio, Sunday’s results meant that sixth place was gone but the Croatian did not want to ponder on them dropping two points in the last moments of the match. “I don’t think it was a missed opportunity at all, it was a point gained,” he said. “... but, yes, there are a few regrets, as we were leading 1-0 near the end and it’s impressive to come here and play so well against a team that is perhaps second or third best in Europe.”

Lazio wrap up their season on May 26 at home to relegated Sassuolo, Inter will visit Hellas Verona while Roma will visit Empoli. Roma may have to wait until June 2 to find out what European competition they will be in next season when Atalanta play a previously postponed match against Fiorentina, following the conclusion of the rest of the season.