Leonardo will face Parma for the third time in a competitive fixture as a coach today, after his two matches against them while in charge of AC Milan in 2009/10. In both those games the home side emerged as the winner.

This is the 11th time in competitive fixtures that Colomba has taken on Inter, with just one win so far for the newly-appointed Parma coach, 3 draws (all 1-1) and 6 Nerazzurri wins. The Nerazzurri have scored in all 10 games - 20 goals in total. The only Inter defeat to a side coached by Colomba proved fatal for Marcello Lippi: on 1 October 2000 the Nerazzurri lost 2-1 at the Stadio Granillo in Reggio Calabria, with the 2006 World Cup winner and then-Inter coach being relieved of his duties by the club.

Colomba and Leonardo have met only once before as coaches: Bologna 0-0 AC Milan on 7 February 2010, in Serie A.

On 18 May 2008, the final day of the Serie A 2007/08 season saw a top v bottom clash between Inter and Parma at the Stadio Tardini, with Inter running out 2-0 winners to become Italian champions for the 16th time. The defeat proved fatal for Parma as it condemned them to their first ever relegation to Serie B. The match-winner was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored a brace (62 and 79) after replacing Cesar on 51 minutes. The referee then was the same as today's: Gianluca Rocchi (Florence).

Parma have won just one of their last 14 competitive matches played - home and away - against Inter. That victory came on 25 March 2006, when they edged a 1-0 win in Serie A at the Stadio Tardini. In the other 13 games in that period, there have been 4 draws and 9 Nerazzurri wins.

Parma, who have won just four home games so far in the 2010/11 Serie A season, even if they were to win their last 3 games at the Stadio Tardini against Inter, Palermo and Juventus, will still have achieved their lowest ever number of home wins in a Serie A season. Their current record for fewest home wins is 7, which happened in both 2005/06 and 2007/08. At best that negative record can be equalled.

Colomba's teams have conceded in each of the last 15 league games, letting in 26 goals in total. The last time one of Colomba's sides kept a clean sheet was on 14 February 2010, when his Bologna team beat Livorno 0-1 away.

Parma are one of 5 teams in Serie A 2010/11 with the fewest different goalscorers: just 9, the same as Bologna, Brescia, Cesena and Sampdoria. Those 9 players are Amauri, Bojinov, Candreva, Crespo, Giovinco, Lucarelli A., Morrone, Palladino and Zaccardo. Inter are one of 4 teams in Serie A 2010/11 to have found the net with the highest number of different players: 14, the same as Catania, Fiorentina and Genoa. The 14 Nerazzurri scorers are Cambiasso, Chivu, Eto’o, Kharja, Lucio, Maicon, Milito, Muntari, Nagatomo, Pandev, Pazzini, Sneijder, Stankovic and Thiago Motta.

In Serie A 2010/11, Inter are the team that has earned the most points in the second half. Compared to their first-half scorelines, they are 21 points better off after 90 minutes.

Diego Alberto Milito needs three more goals to make it 100 in games played for Italian teams. The first of his 97 strikes – which have come wearing the colours of Genoa and Inter, 51 in Serie A, 33 in Serie B, 5 in the Coppa Italia, 7 in European competitions and 1 in the Club World Cup – came on 1 February 2004, in the 39th minute of Genoa 1-1 Ascoli (Serie B).

Should he play today, Goran Pandev will celebrate his 300th career appearance with Italian clubs. His 299 appearances to date - wearing the colours of Spezia, Ancona, Lazio and Inter - are divided as follows: 222 in Serie A, 22 in Serie C-1, 24 in Coppa Italia, 27 in European competitions and 4 in other competitions. Pandev's debut in a competitive match came on 25 August 2002 in Venezia 2-1 Spezia (Coppa Italia).

Parma - Inter suffered a two goals to nil defeat at the hands of Parma in the Serie A 2010/11, Week 33 match played this evening at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.

In the first half Stankovic was the undisputed man-of-the-match for Inter. He came close on two occasions with a free-kick after 23 minutes which just missed the top corner and then with a long-range shot on 29 minutes which Mirante saved brilliantly. But it was Parma who took the lead after 35 minutes with neat passing between Zaccardo, Modesto and Giovinco who netted the ball with a left-foot shot. In the second half Sneijder came on and Inter began to speed up their game, but Amauri hit the crossbar on 74 minutes and then won the match 2 – 0 for Parma with his 86th minute goal. 

First half – As Maicon and Motta hadn't been picked and with Cordoba recovering from an operation on his meniscus, Leonardo reshuffled the team playing Nagatomo right-back and Chivu left-back pushing Zanetti forward into midfield alongside Cambiasso and Kharja; Sneijder stayed on the bench and Stankovic played behind the two strikers, Pazzini and Eto'o. For Parma Candreva and Giovinco played behind lone striker Amauri.
After three minutes of play Parma were awarded the first free-kick from 23 metres out. Giovinco took it and the ball was deflected off the wall for the first of two consecutive corners which ended with Lucarelli's overhead-kick floating high over the bar. Eto'o tried to come up with the response after 9 minutes when he took a pass from Lucio and hit a right from outside the area, but Lucarelli was there to turn the ball away for a corner, which came to nothing. Stankovic showed his skill on 23 minutes as he launched a free kick from 30 metres hitting it perfectly on his laces only to see it hit the angle of crossbar and upright to deny Inter's Drago a well-deserved goal. Undoubtedly the Serb midfielder was man-of-the-match and he went on to create even more problems for Parma as he picked up a pass from Eto'o and fired another long-distance missile, forcing Mirante to dive at full-stretch to save on 29 minutes. Parma took the lead in the 35th minute with Giovinco: Zaccardo crossed from the left, Modesto picked up the ball on the far post and passed it back to the former Juventus striker who beat Julio Cesar with a low left-footed shot. Stankovic again in the last minute of the first half tried to break through the Parma defence following a one-two with Eto'o, but Mirante came off his line to stop the ball on the ground. After 45 minutes the teams went into the dressing rooms with the score at 1-0 for Parma.

Second half – The second half got underway with Sneijder substituting Chivu. Zanetti moved back to cover in defence. Pazzini tried a shot from the edge of the area, picking up a pass from Stankovic, which Mirante saved after 47 minutes. It was Inter again on 57 minutes when Lucio crossed into the centre and Cambiasso headed the ball down for Eto'o and Ranocchia who were running in but, at the last minute, a brave Mirante dived to make the save. Sneijder came close too on the hour mark with a shot across goal which shaved the post. Leonardo took off Pazzini in the 61st minute and brought on Milito. Sneijder took a free-kick on 67 minutes which came back off the wall and then Stankovic tried again with a hard, low shot from outside the 18-yard box but watched the ball slip narrowly wide after 68 minutes. Inter piled the pressure on the defence and Mirante's goal, but it was Amauri who came closer to scoring than anyone else, as he intercepted a pass on 71 minutes and curled his shot towards the far post only to hit the crossbar. Two 74th minute tackles from Lucio in the penalty area, first of all on Giovinco and then on Antonelli brought protests from Parma as they claimed for fouls, but Rocchi was near at hand and let play go on. Amauri went on to put another nail in Inter's coffin as Modesto's pass from the left of the area found Bojinov, who in turn passed right to Amauri and he shot on the turn to beat the advancing Julio Cesar and make it 2-0. Milito kept on trying and his shot, following a pass from Stankovic found Mirante ready in the 90th minute. After 5 minutes of added time, the match ended 2-0, leaving the Nerazzurri on 63 points.


Parma 2-0 Inter (HT: 1-0)
Scorers: Giovinco 35, Amauri 86.

Parma: 83 Mirante; 5 Zaccardo, 29 Paletta, 6 Lucarelli, 18 Gobbi; 4 Morrone, 10 Dzemaili, 23 Modesto; 7 Candreva (80 Valiani 65), 21 Giovinco (86 Bojinov 81); 11 Amauri (9 Crespo 89).
Unused subs:1 Pavarini, 14 Galloppa, 26 Pisano, 40 Nwanko.
Coach: Franco Colomba.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 55 Nagatomo, 6 Lucio, 15 Ranocchia, 26 Chivu (10 Sneijder 46); 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 14 Kharja (27 Pandev 77); 5 Stankovic; 7 Pazzini (22 Milito 61), 9 Eto'o.
Unused subs: 12 Castellazzi, 17 Mariga, 23 Materazzi, 20 Obi.

Coach: Leonardo.

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Florence).
Bookings: Ranocchia 19, Zaccardo 54, Paletta 66, Stankovic 72.

Added time: 0 + 5 minutes.

starting lineups

substitutes