Inter Milan vs Parma – News and Probable Lineups

Seeking to regain their place at the top of Serie A, current champions Inter de Milão will host struggling Parma at the San Siro this Saturday.

Inter remains unbeaten, thanks to a string of impressive comebacks, but they will face a team looking to start fresh under new management.

Match overview

Inter experienced an action-packed couple of weeks leading up to the lengthy international break, coming from behind to win in three consecutive Serie A fixtures.

Initially, they triumphed over Napoli in a thrilling five-goal contest, then turned around a two-goal deficit to beat Udinese 5-3, and finally demonstrated their resilience by earning a vital point in Rome.

Both Roma and Inter entered their match at Stadio Olimpico with perfect records, resulting in an engaging 2-2 draw. Captain Lautaro Martinez stepped up once more, scoring immediately after the break and later equalizing for his side.

With 13 points each, Cristian Chivu’s squad will play before Roma and Lazio this weekend, offering them a chance to ascend to the top of the table on Saturday evening.

Averaging three goals per game and having only suffered an unlucky defeat in the Champions League against Real Madrid, Inter aims to achieve their first four Serie A home wins in nine years.

Having not lost to Parma in nine league clashes and consistently scoring at least two goals, the historic statistics certainly favor the Milanese giants.

Parma’s last victory against the Nerazzurri in the top division was back in 2018, when current Inter player Federico Dimarco secured the win at San Siro.

This time, they may travel there with some anxiety, especially after their recent managerial change, and only four points earned so far.

Carlos Cuesta led the team to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Genoa just before the break, but he was subsequently dismissed, making way for a familiar face.

Alberto Gilardino, who netted 56 goals during his three-year stint with Parma from 2002 to 2005, before joining the city rivals AC Milan, is now the club’s second-highest scorer in the top flight.

His managerial journey has been inconsistent, with last season at Pisa marking a particularly challenging time, and now he faces a daunting opening fixture.

Parma has lost their last four away matches, dating back to the end of last season, and now they have to contend with the prolific Scudetto holders.

Team News

Although Inter can welcome back set-piece expert Hakan Calhanoglu and might include Djed Spence for his debut since joining, two other England internationals will be absent.

John Stones remains out with a flexor injury, while Curtis Jones may not return until November after sustaining a thigh injury.

Chivu still has a plethora of talent available, notably in the attacking third: Ange Bonny, Marcus Thuram, and Italy’s Pio Esposito are all in contention to partner Martinez in the front line.

The latter has recently recorded back-to-back braces in the league, bringing his career total to 136 Serie A goals, with only Benito Lorenzi (138) and Giuseppe Meazza (197) surpassing him for Inter.

An Argentine counterpart of ‘El Toro’, David Romero, has found the net in both of his last two outings, making him a likely candidate to lead Parma’s attacking line.

Pontus Almqvist (calf) and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia (groin) are currently sidelined due to injury, while Gilardino has concerns about young defender Dominik Drobnic (wrist).

Inter Milan probable starting XI:

J. Martinez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, L. Martinez

Parma probable starting XI:

Crows; Delprato, Carlos, Troilo; Britschgi, Bernabe, Keita, Sierro, Valeri; Far away, Romero

Inter has made the most shots on target in Serie A this season, while Parma has registered the least, a trend that is likely to persist in Milan.

Anticipate a dominant performance from the hosts, who are expected to control possession and territory, as the Serie A champions move closer to another home victory.