Building up to Inter vs. Parma, the facts and statistics

MILAN - Following on from their success at the 'Mapei Stadium' and their Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, the Nerazzurri are preparing themselves to face Parma at San Siro. In collaboration with Opta, here are the best facts and statistics from the upcoming game.

The game scheduled for this Saturday at 18:00 CEST will be the 51st encounter between the two teams in Serie A, with the record standing at 20 wins for the Nerazzurri and 16 for their opponents. The remaining 14 games have all been draws, eight of which have ended 1-1, the most common result of the teams’ meetings in the top flight.

Inter have scored 18 goals from their first eight league games, eleven of which have come in the first half. This latter statistic is the third highest out of the five top leagues in Europe this season, only behind Manchester City (16) and Liverpool (13), both of whom have played an extra game.

Inter are also at the top in terms of their defence: only Paris Saint-Germain (5.8) and Atlético Madrid (7.0) have conceded fewer than Inter (7.1) in terms of Expected Goals in the top five European leagues this season, with the Nerazzurri the only team in Serie A to have not conceded from a dead-ball situation so far this campaign.

Courtesy of his five goals scored in his first eight league games, Lukaku writes his name into Inter’s history books: since 1994/95 only three Nerazzurri players have bettered the Belgian after arriving at Inter: Ronaldo, Milito and Branco (all with six goals).

Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco and Antonio Candreva have all played for both sides, while the only goal scored against Parma by any player in the current Nerazzurri squad came from Lautaro Martinez, who finds himself on hot form after his brace against Sassuolo and the goal against Borussia Dortmund.

Marcelo Brozovic has more touches (755) than any other player in the current Serie A, while Samir Handanovic has kept the most clean sheets in this calendar year (11). Only Oblak (18), Ederson (16), ter Stegen and Pickford (both on 13) have kept more in the top five leagues in Europe.

Finally, moving to the technical area, Antonio Conte is unbeaten against Parma in Serie A as a coach (5W, 2D). This is the first time he finds himself up against Roberto D’Aversa.