Inter beat Parma 3-0 to move provisionally top

Inter beat Parma 3-0 at San Siro to move provisionally top, three points clear before Roma’s trip tomorrow to face Cesc Fàbregas’s Como. The win came despite Cristian Chivu’s decision to rest Lautaro Martínez, Barella, Bastoni and Akanji from the start. Alberto Gilardino made his debut in place of Carlos Cuesta in the visitors’ dugout. The match was effectively settled within the opening half-hour.

Inter started brightly, but Edoardo Corvi denied Federico Dimarco from close range. At the other end, El Bilal Touré threatened with a shot collected by Josep Martínez, then curled another effort narrowly wide. Parma’s defensive mistakes soon proved costly. Before the quarter-hour mark, Corvi played the ball to Mandela Keita, only for Petar Sucic to win it high up the pitch and beat the goalkeeper with a powerful shot. The Croatian, named MVP, had found himself one-on-one with Parma’s keeper.

Soon afterwards, Diego Carlos stepped on Francesco Pio Esposito inside the area. After consulting the video assistant referee, the referee awarded a penalty. Inter kept pressing, and at the half-hour mark Marcus Thuram finished a counterattack with a precise shot across goal after Henrikh Mkhitaryan played him through on the right.

The remainder was largely controlled by Inter, who kept pushing forward and created further chances. Parma rarely troubled Josep Martínez and lacked accuracy when opportunities came. Chivu brought on Lautaro Martínez at the hour mark, followed later by Djed Spence, who had yet to make his debut after joining from Tottenham because he was not at his best physically. Inter’s place at the top remains provisional, with Roma still to play.