Inter Milan clinch Serie A title with 2-0 victory over Parma

Inter Milan has secured the Serie A title with a 2-0 victory over Parma at home on Sunday, establishing an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

Marcus Thuram opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time before Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win 10 minutes from time. Inter moved up to 82 points and clinched their 21st Scudetto with three matches remaining in the campaign.

Inter entered the match knowing a point would be enough after second-placed Napoli were held to a 0-0 draw at Como on Saturday. Sunday's result handed them an unbeatable 12-point lead over Napoli.

"I always said that you can make mistakes on the field, but this team never lost the desire to stay together. We always gave everything we had, you can win or lose, but I am so proud of these players," Nicolo Barella said to DAZN.

INTER IN CONTROL

Despite the 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 shot from Barella struck the underside of the bar. The rebound then hit Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki on the back, but the Japan international reacted quickly to tip the ball away from near the line and out of danger.

Thuram sparked a frenzy among the home supporters in first-half stoppage time, slotting home after being found unmarked by a Piotr Zielinski through ball to put Inter ahead.

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 and missing the chance to seal the match.

Mkhitaryan sealed the victory 10 minutes from time, tapping in a low cross from Lautaro Martinez to secure the points and spark title celebrations among the Inter supporters.

REDEMPTION AFTER HEARTBREAK LAST SEASON

For Inter, the triumph offered redemption following the heartbreak of last season, when the club lost the Serie A title on the last matchday before a 5-0 thrashing by Paris St Germain in the Champions League final.

“We feel so happy now. It was not easy to start again after a season where we lost all the competitions we were in right at the end, but I am very happy today with this achievement," Martinez said.

“It was a very important objective for us, perhaps many didn’t see us being favourites considering what happened last term, but we worked so hard on and off the field.”

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.

Inter substitute Davide Frattesi nearly added a third moments after replacing Barella, though his volley from a Dimarco cross was smothered by goalkeeper Suzuki just before it could cross the line.