Inter Milanvs.Parma

Inter's game against Fiorentina was halted due to a medical emergency, while promoted Parma shocked one of Serie A's top five last time out.

Match preview

Play was dramatically halted during the first half of Inter's Sunday evening clash at Stadio Franchi, as Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch, with an ambulance ultimately arriving to rush the 22-year-old to hospital.

Fortunately, Bove was soon breathing autonomously and then regained consciousness while in intensive care, but the incident left both teams shaken and they chose not to continue.

Inter had gone into the game level on points with their high-flying hosts near the top of Serie A - following a 5-0 thrashing of Hellas Verona, in which Marcus Thuram bagged a brace - though they have now slipped four behind leaders Napoli with one game in hand.

Also in good shape to progress in Europe, the Nerazzurri beat RB Leipzig last week to boost their quest for a top-eight finish in the Champions League table - only Premier League front-runners Liverpool sit above them.

Added to successive 1-0 wins on the continent, Simone Inzaghi's side have kept clean sheets in four of their last six league games - after failing to do so in any of the previous four - and the Scudetto holders seem to be recovering their familiar steel.

Partly thanks to the input of Thuram, Inter have scored for 29 consecutive home games in Serie A and could now reach 30 for just the fourth time to date; however, their next opponents have recently proved tough to beat in Milan.

Despite winning the teams' most recent meeting in Parma, the Nerazzurri have not won at home to their Emilian counterparts since 2013: with four draws and one defeat during that period, it is their longest ongoing winless streak against any opponent at San Siro.

Parma will make their latest trip to Italy's second city on the back of a morale-boosting victory over another one of at least six teams vying for the title this season.

Kicking off their December schedule with an overdue home win, the Gialloblu took an early lead against Lazio at Stadio Tardini, as Dennis Man put them in front after six minutes, and a superb strike from rising star Anas Haj Mohamed later extended their advantage.

After surviving a few scares and then conceding late on, defender Enrico Del Prato raised the roof by scoring his third goal of the season to seal a 3-1 win that lifted Parma up to within a point of the top half.

The Serie B champions had struggled to hold onto leads since winning promotion, but they have now won two of their last three matches - doubling their tally of successes from the previous 11.

While Parma came out on top against Venezia in their last away fixture - after a streak of 19 road trips without a win in Serie A - Fabio Pecchia's side must now take a significant step up in class.

Inter Milan Serie A form:

W

D

W

W

D

W

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

W

W

W

D

W

W

Parma Serie A form:

D

D

L

W

L

W

Team News

Named Serie A's 'Coach of the Year' earlier this week, Simone Inzaghi will most likely keep rotation to a minimum on Friday evening, as Inter's last match was stopped early in its first half.

He should have an almost full squad to choose from, as Francesco Acerbi and Carlos Augusto have both returned to training. Benjamin Pavard and back-up goalkeeper Raffaele Di Gennaro - who has undergone surgery on his finger - are the hosts' only confirmed absences.

Having netted another double against Verona late last month, Marcus Thuram could become just the third player in Serie A history to reach double figures in a single season by only scoring two or more goals each time; he is set to partner Lautaro Martinez up front.

Meanwhile, Parma's attack will be led by Yoan-Ange Bonny, whose deputy Gabriel Charpentier ruptured his Achilles tendon after setting up two goals against Lazio and can expect to spend several months on the sidelines.

Fabio Pecchia is also without Adrian Bernabe and Yordan Osorio due to injury, in addition to long-term absentees Mateusz Kowalski and Alessandro Circati.

It remains to be seen whether Tunisian teenager Anas Haj Mohamed is retained, having scored on his first Serie A start, as Hernani and Valentin Mihaila are among several players vying for promotion from the bench.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Parma possible starting lineup:

Suzuki; Coulibaly, Del Prato, Balogh, Valeri; Keita, Sohm; Man, Haj Mohamed, Cancellieri; Bonny

We say: Inter Milan 2-0 Parma

Victory should be a formality for Inter, as they are imperious at San Siro and Parma do not tend to travel well.

Written by

Jonathan O'Shea

Previews by email