News Focus
- Inter Milan claim their 21st Serie A crown following a 2-0 win against Parma
- Marcus Thuram scores in his fifth consecutive league match to break the deadlock
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan seals the victory with a tap-in during the second half
- The Nerazzurri only required a single point to secure the title after Napoli drew with Como
- Lautaro Martinez provides a crucial assist after coming off the bench
Inter Milan are the champions of Italy for the 21st time. The Nerazzurri defeated Parma 2-0 at San Siro on Saturday evening to lift the Serie A trophy.
The home side entered the match needing just one point to confirm their status as title winners. This followed Napoli’s goalless draw away to Como earlier in the day.
Simone Inzaghi’s team faced some injury concerns before kick-off. Hakan Calhanoglu and Luis Henrique were both unavailable. However, Alessandro Bastoni returned to the starting line-up after three weeks out. Club captain Lautaro Martinez began the game on the substitute’s bench.
The visitors arrived at San Siro with no pressure on their shoulders. Parma had already guaranteed their safety in the top flight. They were without Matija Frigan and Benja Cremaschi for this clash.
The first half saw several clear chances. Denzel Dumfries nearly opened the scoring with a glancing header from a Nicolò Barella cross. The ball flashed just wide of the post. Parma responded strongly when Mateo Pellegrino volleyed poorly from close range after good work by Adrian Bernabé.
Inter came closest to scoring after 26 minutes. Barella struck the crossbar with a powerful shot. The ball bounced off goalkeeper Zion Suzuki’s back. Thuram tried to force home the rebound, but Suzuki recovered to make a crucial block from point-blank range.
The breakthrough finally arrived during first-half stoppage time. Piotr Zielinski played a perfect through ball to Thuram. The French striker broke past the offside trap. He took one touch and swept the ball into the net with his right foot from seven yards out. This marked his fifth straight Serie A match with a goal.
Early in the second period, Inter suffered an injury blow. Young striker Pio Esposito left the pitch with a back problem. Former Parma forward Ange-Yoan Bonny replaced him. Lautaro Martinez also entered the action for the final 25 minutes.
Federico Dimarco continued his excellent creative form. He set up Mkhitaryan at the back post, but the Armenian midfielder somehow missed an open goal from six yards. Hans Nicolussi Caviglia cleared the danger.
The second goal came soon after. Lautaro Martinez timed his run perfectly down the right flank. He squared the ball across the face of goal. Mkhitaryan made no mistake this time, tapping into an empty net from five yards.
Parma thought they had scored late on through Nesta Elphege. However, the goal was ruled out because Pontus Almqvist was offside in the build-up. Substitute Davide Frattesi nearly added a third for Inter, but Suzuki managed to stop his volley from crossing the line completely after another Dimarco assist.
The final whistle confirmed Inter as champions. The players celebrated on the pitch as they lifted the Scudetto in front of their home supporters.