Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Fans of the Italian Serie A will witness an Inter Milan vs Parma FC match for the first time since the 2020/21 season.
Parma were relegated from the Italian top flight after 38 games of the 2020/21 season and spent the next four years in the lower divisions of Italian football. In that time, they went through an impressive rebuild, had the legendary Gianluigi Buffon keep goal for them, and also won the Italian Serie B to earn promotion back to Serie A.
"L'avvocato", Fabio Pecchia is behind that latest achievement, coming in to take charge of the club in the 2022/23 season. After one year of tinkering, the 51-year-old has built a team that can comfortably compete for mid-table places in the top flight, which is the target of teams like his who just gained promotion. They have stunned Serie A fans while playing football that their fans can be proud of, though it is not without its own deficiencies.
Inter will remember Pecchia's version of Parma very well from their meeting in the 2022/23 Coppa Italia round of 16. I Crociati took Nerazzurri all the way to extra time in that match, with Francesco Acerbi's 110th-minute header being the saving grace for Inter Milan, who were the home team on the night.
Inter Milan faced the daunting task of trying to get past Gianluigi Buffon, who was 44 at the time and winding up his illustrious career with his boyhood club. The Italian goalkeeping legend put on a masterclass as if he was back at Juventus facing off against a fierce Serie A rival for the entire duration of the game.
Inter Milan and Parma both traded attacks, but the visitors looked more comfortable against the defending champions in the first half. Parma would break the deadlock with a brilliantly-worked attack which fell to Stanko Juric (now at Real Valladolid) at the edge of the box. The defensive midfielder's brilliant 25-yard strike would beat Andre Onana (now at Manchester United) to give I Crociati the lead. That goal, which came in the 38th minute of the game, would see both teams exchange a rally of attacks, none of which would amount to much, especially on Inter's side.
Inter got desperate in the second half but still, Simone Inzaghi's side could not create any danger. Parma, meanwhile, looked threatening every time they surged forward but poor finishing was their downfall. That little detail showcased the difference in squad quality between both teams, but it was more damning for the Coppa defending champions that they could not find a way past the minnows.
It took a deflection from a strike by Lautaro Martinez to draw them level and give them a breather. That goal lit a fire under the Nerazzurri as they suddenly became sharper in attack. Buffon had to produce a fine stop to deny Edin Džeko (now at FenerbahCe) a goal which would have saved Inter the stress of going into extra time.
The first half of extra time was more controlled because both sides did not want to give up too many chances to the other but in the second half, Inter would get the tie-breaker goal and the eventual match winner.
Buffon would punch a ball clear following an Inter attack but the ball would fall into the path of Francesco Acerbi, who headed in the winner.
Since then, the squads of both teams have undergone many changes, but Inzaghi and "L'avvocato" Pecchia will remember how they pushed each other.
As both managers prepare their tactics for the game, here is information on the matchday tickets and team news ahead of the game. We also predict what the XIs of both teams will look like as well as give our scoreline prediction.
Inter Milan are the hosts of this clash and their fans will flood the San Siro, with the Nerazzurri colours to create an intimidating atmosphere for the visiting Parma. Inter Milan vs Parma FC tickets for the game are available on the websites of both teams, as well as their official channels and partners. Fans can also check the official Serie A channels for tickets to the game.
Tourists and non-local fans can visit ticket resale sites to bypass the bottlenecks which registered fans will not have when purchasing tickets from official channels. These sites will also eliminate the waiting period that the ticket balloting system creates. Early indication is key, as the tickets are expected to be sold out.
The match will be played at 6:30 PM and will be broadcast to fans at home across the world.
Parma FC are the worst hit when it comes to injuries ahead of this game. Pecchia's biggest worry will be replacing Adrián Bernabe, who has been a major cog in his machine this season until his injury in early November.
The Barcelona-born and trained midfielder joins Mateusz Kowalski and Alessandro Circati as 2025 returnees leaving the Italian manager with a squad short of his best players for the trip to Inter. The hosts, meanwhile, will be ready for their visitors with their full squad.
With no injuries on Inter's side and their current position on the table, we expect Inzaghi to start his best XI against Parma, who are - right now - minnows in name (and finances) alone. This means we will see the likes of Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez, Acerbi - who scored against Parma the last time - and Calhanoglu.
Meanwhile, Pecchia will surely struggle to replace Bernabe, which means he could deploy a different formation to make up for the midfielder's talents, which means we will see Adrian Benedyczak get a run in the match against Inter.
Here is how we expect both teams to line up for this match.
Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, DiMarco; Thuram, Martinez.
Parma FC: Suzuki; Coulibaly, Balogh, Del Prato, Hainaut; Sohm, Keita; Mihaila, Benedyczak, Man; Bonny.
Inter Milan are not exactly the team that was on top of Italian football the last time both teams met, but that can be explained away as a result of other teams stepping up to the plate. Parma FC are also a much better team than the one that Inter faced in that Coppa Italia fixture thanks to Pecchia's tinkering. This means that this match is a lot more open than many would think, which leaves room for holders of Inter Milan tickets to be entertained to the fullest. It will be a close game.
Inter Milan 2 - 1 Parma FC.
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