Federico Dimarco scores Inter Milan’s opening purpose at Parma on Wednesday. Photograph: AFP
MILAN:
Inter Milan moved 4 factors clear on the prime of Serie A on Wednesday after successful 2-0 at Parma whereas rivals Napoli battled to a 2-2 dwelling draw with Verona.
Federico Dimarco scored the opening purpose simply earlier than half-time at a foggy Stadio Ennio Tardini earlier than Marcus Thuram netted in stoppage time to provide Inter a sixth straight league win and a helpful benefit on third-placed Napoli.
Inter will maintain prime spot till no less than the weekend, when Cristian Chivu’s group will host the champions in a Scudetto showdown on the San Siro.
However their lead might be in the reduction of to some extent on Thursday as native rivals AC Milan, who sit second and are stage on 38 factors with Napoli, host struggling Genoa.
“Right now it was necessary to win and that is what we did, now we will begin enthusiastic about Sunday’s match,” stated Dimarco to DAZN.
Inter might have received extra simply as Pio Esposito, who began instead of Thuram in view of Sunday’s conflict with Napoli, hit the crossbar within the twenty ninth minute, whereas Parma outdated boy Ange-Yoan Bonny had a late purpose dominated out for handball.
However it was Petar Sucic who wasted one of the best alternative of the evening halfway by way of the second half when he in some way shot large when despatched clear by way of by Lautaro Martinez.
In the long run it did not matter and Inter now have a wholesome cushion between themselves and Napoli, who needed to struggle again from two targets down at half-time to squeak a attract Naples.
Napoli slip
Giovanni Di Lorenzo swept dwelling a superb leveller with eight minutes remaining to seize a degree after Scott McTominay’s header early within the second half began the fightback.
“The constructive factor is that we got here again from going two targets behind but it surely’s not the proper consequence… we needed to win our first match of 2026 in entrance of our followers,” stated Di Lorenzo to DAZN.
“I am happy for myself for the purpose but it surely’s not sufficient.”
Inter’s win has piled stress on Napoli, particularly given the continued damage disaster affecting Antonio Conte’s squad.
Andre-Frank Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku have been within the stands whereas star summer time signing Kevin De Bruyne remains to be absent, with niggling accidents inflicting issues nearly each match.
McTominay’s third league purpose of the season sparked an onslaught on the Verona purpose however Rasmus Hojlund was denied a 72nd-minute equaliser when he was penalised for handball following a VAR test.
After Amir Rrahmani additionally had a purpose chalked off for offside, skipper Di Lorenzo salvaged one thing from the match and maintained Napoli’s unbeaten dwelling document this season.
Atalanta continued their revival underneath Raffaele Palladino with a 2-0 win at Bologna, with Nikola Krstovic bagging each targets after beginning instead of the injured Gianluca Scamacca.
Krstovic netted sensible low finishes in every half to push Atalanta above Bologna into seventh, albeit eight factors behind Juventus who sit fourth within the final Champions League spot.
Whereas Atalanta appear to be a brand new group, Bologna sit eighth and are slipping down the desk after failing to win for the reason that finish of November, though they’ve a recreation in hand attributable to their participation within the Italian Tremendous Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Fiorentina have been denied a second win of the season by Pedro’s stoppage-time penalty in an exciting 2-2 draw at Lazio and are two factors behind Genoa who sit simply outdoors the relegation zone.
