Reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan return to domestic action on Saturday when they welcome Parma to the Giuseppe Meazza, with Cristian Chivu’s side looking to reclaim top spot after an unbeaten opening to the league campaign.
Inter Milan have already demonstrated a remarkable ability to recover from difficult situations this season, coming from behind in each of their last three Serie A matches. Parma, meanwhile, arrive under new management after Alberto Gilardino replaced Carlos Cuesta and face perhaps the most difficult possible first assignment of the new era.
Inter’s start to the season has been impressive, even if it has occasionally been more complicated than expected. The Nerazzurri recovered from difficult positions against Napoli, Udinese, and AS Roma, taking seven points from those three encounters. The most spectacular result was the 5-3 victory over Udinese, while their latest Serie A outing produced a 2-2 draw against Roma after Inter twice had to fight their way back into the contest.
Lautaro Martinez has once again been central to that resilience and the Inter captain scored after half time against Roma and later equalised again, continuing his remarkable influence in the final third. Inter have scored three goals per game on average in Serie A so far, underlining just how dangerous Chivu’s side can be when they find their rhythm.
The champions currently sit on 13 points, level with Roma and Lazio, meaning victory against Parma would give them the opportunity to move back to the summit before their rivals play. There is also an impressive home milestone within reach. Inter are attempting to win their first four Serie A home matches for the first time in nine years.
Parma’s situation could hardly be more different and the visitors have collected just four points from their opening league matches and recently parted company with Carlos Cuesta despite the Spaniard ending his tenure with a 2-1 victory over Genoa. In his place comes Alberto Gilardino, a former Parma striker who scored 56 goals for the club between 2002 and 2005.
Gilardino’s first competitive match in charge is therefore an extremely demanding one. Parma have also lost their last four away matches, making a trip to the Giuseppe Meazza particularly intimidating. There are, however, reasons for the new manager to remain optimistic.
The victory over Genoa means Parma have at least shown they can grind out results, while a new manager can potentially provide a tactical reset. The challenge will be preventing Inter from turning that reset into an immediate reality check.
The recent head-to-head record is particularly concerning for Parma as Inter are unbeaten in their last nine league meetings with the visitors and have scored at least twice in every one of those encounters. Parma’s last top-flight victory over Inter came back in 2018, when Federico Dimarco scored the winning goal at the Meazza ironically, the same player who now represents Inter.
That historical advantage, combined with Inter’s current attacking form, makes the visitors’ defensive organisation one of the central storylines. For Parma, the answer may be to remain extremely compact and deny Inter access through the middle. Their best moments are likely to come in transition, especially into the space behind Inter’s advanced wing-backs.
The away side cannot simply sit deep for 90 minutes, though. Inter’s patience and ability to recycle possession means sustained pressure could eventually become overwhelming. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Inter have several selection decisions to make, although Cristian Chivu possesses considerable depth. Hakan Calhanoglu is available again and could return to midfield, while Djed Spence may potentially make his first appearance since joining the club.
The main concern is injury-related as John Stones remains sidelined with a flexor problem, while Curtis Jones could be unavailable until November after suffering a right-thigh injury.
There is considerable competition for the second attacking position alongside Lautaro Martinez. Ange-Yoan Bonny, Marcus Thuram, and Francesco Pio Esposito are all options, although Thuram is expected to get the nod. Lautaro enters the match in particularly good form. He has scored consecutive braces in Serie A and now has 136 Serie A goals, placing him just behind Benito Lorenzi and Giuseppe Meazza among Inter’s all-time top-flight scorers.
The potential return of Calhanoglu gives Inter a natural tempo controller. His passing range allows the Nerazzurri to move Parma from side to side before accelerating through the final third. The most dangerous combination could come down the left, where Bastoni, Dimarco and Lautaro can create layered attacking movements. Dimarco’s positioning can pull Parma’s midfield wider, allowing Lautaro to attack the space that opens centrally.
Inter also have an important advantage when attacking set pieces, with several physically strong players capable of attacking Calhanoglu’s deliveries. Their greatest danger may actually come from overconfidence. Parma will be looking to counter into the spaces left by Inter’s wing-backs, so the champions will need appropriate rest defence whenever they commit numbers forward.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Provedel; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Parma
Parma could not have asked for a tougher opener to begin the Alberto Gilardino era. Pontus Almqvist remains unavailable with a calf injury, while Hans Nicolussi Caviglia is sidelined by a groin problem. Young defender Dominik Drobnic is also a concern after suffering a wrist injury.
Up front, Jose David Romero is expected to continue after scoring in each of his last two appearances. Gilardino is likely to prioritise defensive stability initially. A 3-5-2 against Inter’s 3-5-2 should allow Parma to match up physically while maintaining three centre-backs against Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez.
The wing-backs will be crucial and they cannot simply follow Dimarco and Diouf forward because doing so could create gaps for Inter’s forwards to exploit. Parma may therefore defend with a compact midfield five and attempt to funnel Inter towards the flanks.
Once possession is recovered, Romero and El Bilal Toure will need to provide an immediate outlet. Parma’s best opportunity may be to attack quickly before Inter can restore their defensive structure. The visitors also need to avoid conceding early. An early Inter goal could force Parma to open up, which would play directly into the champions’ hands.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Corvi; Delprato, Carlos, Troilo; Britschgi, Bernabe, Keita, Sierro, Valeri; Toure, Romero
Key Stats
- Inter Milan are unbeaten in Serie A this season, collecting 13 points from their opening matches.
- Inter Milan are averaging three goals per game in Serie A.
- Inter Milan are unbeaten in their last nine league meetings with Parma, scoring at least twice in every one of those matches.
- Parma have lost their last four away matches.
- Lautaro Martinez has scored 136 Serie A goals for Inter, leaving him only two behind Benito Lorenzi and 61 behind the club’s all-time top-flight scorer Giuseppe Meazza.
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
The Inter Milan captain has scored consecutive Serie A braces and has already established himself as the central figure in Cristian Chivu’s attack. His latest goals have also taken his Inter Serie A tally to 136. His movement will be particularly difficult for Parma’s three-man defence to manage.
The Argentine striker rarely stays in one position, frequently dropping away from the centre-backs before suddenly accelerating into the penalty area. That movement should complement Marcus Thuram, who can stretch Parma’s defence with his physicality and pace. There is also a historical incentive.
Martinez is closing in on Benito Lorenzi in Inter’s all-time Serie A scoring rankings, meaning another productive afternoon could move him into the club’s top three. With Parma arriving after four consecutive away defeats and Inter having scored freely throughout the campaign, the skipper could be the player who turns a competitive opening into another comfortable victory
Prediction
Inter Milan 3-0 Parma
Parma’s new-manager bounce could make the opening stages uncomfortable for Inter, but the quality gap is substantial. Inter have too many ways of creating overloads and too much attacking firepower for a Parma side still searching for defensive stability. Alberto Gilardino’s first match will be a fascinating tactical introduction, but the Giuseppe Meazza is unlikely to provide an easy welcome.