Inter Milan 2-0 Parma: Thuram and Mkhitaryan fire Nerazzurri to 21st Serie A title
Inter Milan are Serie A champions for the 21st time after a commanding 2-0 victory over visiting Parma at the San Siro on Sunday, mathematically securing their successful defence of the title.
Inter entered the match knowing a point would be enough, after second-placed Napoli had been held to a goalless draw at Como on Saturday, and the result handed them an unbeatable 12-point lead over the reigning champions with three games remaining.
Despite a scarcity of clear-cut chances, Inter controlled much of the first half and established themselves deep in the Parma half. The hosts came close in the 25th minute when a powerful close-range effort from Nicolo Barella struck the underside of the bar, with the rebound hitting goalkeeper Zion Suzuki on the back — though the Japan international reacted quickly to tip the ball away from danger.
The breakthrough arrived in first-half stoppage time, when Thuram slotted home after being found unmarked by a Piotr Zielinski through ball, sparking a frenzy among the home supporters. There was a personal subplot too — Thuram was born in Parma while his father, the legendary Lilian Thuram, played there.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Inter remaining in control but failing to capitalise on their dominance as supporters inside the stadium grew increasingly focused on the clock ticking to 90 minutes. Federico Dimarco delivered a near-perfect cross to Denzel Dumfries in the closing stages, but the defender failed to control his first touch, sending the close-range effort high over the bar.
Mkhitaryan sealed the victory 10 minutes from time, tapping in a low cross from Lautaro Martinez — who had come off the bench to mark his return from injury — to spark title celebrations among the Inter supporters.
Parma thought they had pulled a goal back late on through Nesta Elphege, but the strike was ruled out after Pontus Almqvist was caught offside in the build-up. For Cristian Chivu, Inter’s first-year coach, the trophy was secured against the very club he managed last season, having helped Parma avoid relegation. Chivu, who was hired to replace the departed Simone Inzaghi, played in the Inter side that won a treble under José Mourinho in 2010.
I’mFor Inter, the triumph offered redemption following the heartbreak of last season, when the club lost the Serie A title on the final matchday before a 5-0 thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. Martinez reflected: “It was not easy to start again after a season where we lost all the competitions we were in right at the end, but we worked so hard on and off the field.”
It is Inter’s third Scudetto in six years, with only Juventus’ record of 36 titles ahead of them, and the first time they have sealed the championship in front of their home fans at the San Siro since 1989 — nearly four decades ago. In the running for two trophies this season, Inter will next face Lazio in the Italian Cup final in 10 days.
