Parma 3 : 1 Inter Milan - Inter hopes hit by Parma victory

Posted Wednesday, May 02, 2012 by PA

Parma dealt Inter Milan's hopes of qualifying for Europe next season a blow with a 3-1 win at the Stadio Tardini which lifts them up to eighth in the Serie A table.

Wesley Sneijder gave Inter the lead in the 13th minute, but Parma responded well in the second half with Sebastian Giovinco first setting up Fernando Marques for the equaliser before scoring the second two minutes later.

He then set up Jonathan Biabiany for Parma's third goal in the 83rd minute to take Roberto Donadoni's men to within five points of their opponents with two games of the season remaining, leaving them also a glimmer of hope of sneaking into the Europa League.

Inter's challenge for a place in the Champions League next season got off to the best of starts when Sneijder put them in front after just 13 minutes.

Diego Milito missed Dejan Stankovic's cross on the slide, but the ball was met by Sneijder beyond the far post, and he cut his shot in from an angle.

Parma did not panic, though, and they slowly gained the upper hand in the first half, albeit without finding an equaliser.

They were gifted that early in the second half when Lucio came out of the defence with the ball, but lost it to Giovinco.

The Italy international took the ball back into the penalty area, threaded it through the legs of Walter Samuel to Marques, who had a simple tap-in from five yards out.

Two minutes later, Giovinco beat the offside trap and kept his composure to shoot in off the underside of the crossbar as the Inter defence was again caught napping.

Inter had to commit more men forwards in search of an equaliser and this left them open at the back, and another counter-attack finished them off.

Giovinco was again the provider, sending Biabiany down the left.

He used his pace to beat Julio Cesar, who had raced out of his penalty area, but was left stranded by the Parma striker.

Biabiany took the ball inside the penalty area before curling a shot into the unguarded goal to earn Parma all three points.