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Sports / Football

Parma's Dimarco stuns Inter Milan at San Siro

Published: 15 Sep 2018 - 07:36 pm | Last Updated: 08 Nov 2021 - 02:08 pm
Parma's Italian defender Federico Dimarco (C) celebrates after opening the scoring during the Italian Serie A football match Inter Milan vs Parma on September 15, 2018 at the San Siro stadium in Milan. / AFP / Miguel MEDINA

Parma's Italian defender Federico Dimarco (C) celebrates after opening the scoring during the Italian Serie A football match Inter Milan vs Parma on September 15, 2018 at the San Siro stadium in Milan. / AFP / Miguel MEDINA

AFP

Milan: On-loan Parma defender Federico Dimarco stunned his parent club Inter Milan with a brilliant winner in a 1-0 victory at the San Siro on Saturday, just days before the hosts meet Tottenham in the Champions League.
Luciano Spalletti's Inter fell to their second league defeat this season and have only four points from as many Serie A games ahead of their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.
The 20-year-old Dimarco came on as a substitute just after the interval and unleashed a fierce long-distance strike into the top corner to score his first Serie A goal in the 79th minute.
"After two defeats from four rounds, it becomes difficult to find a reason or excuse," said Spalletti. "We need to do more."
It gave promoted Parma their first league win this season, and first victory at the San Siro since May 1999.
Two-time UEFA Cup winners Parma were declared bankrupt and demoted to the amateur leagues in 2015, before back-to-back promotions saw them return to Serie A.
"It might seem unthinkable to come here against a great side like Inter and take three points, but I applaud the lads for all their hard work this season and the determination they showed," said Parma coach Roberto D'Aversa.
"Some of our players were making their debuts in Serie A, so it was important to have the experience from the likes of Bruno Alves and Gervinho.
"We ended up working with two groups in training, as there were such different levels of fitness, but we were brave and I think fortune favours the brave."
Spalletti rang the changes with a view to Tuesday's Champions League opener, resting last year's top scorer Mauro Icardi who had been struggling with a muscular injury.
But the hosts failed to consistently threaten despite early chances for new signing Radja Nainggolan and Marcelo Brozovic, with Ivan Perisic also forcing a save from Parma goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.
Icardi came on after the break for Keita Balde and was also denied by Sepe.
But Parma opened the scoring in style when full-back Dimarco dispossessed Brozovic in midfield and fired past Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
Former Arsenal and Roma winger Gervinho nearly added a second but saw his shot saved by Handanovic.
Inter had a penalty appeal for a Dimarco handball turned down after consultation with VAR.
"We deserved the victory, we fought hard as a group to the bitter end," said Dimarco, an Inter youth academy graduate who also scored in a 3-1 win for the Italy Under-21 side against Albania during the week.
Last year's Serie A runners-up Napoli host Fiorentina later on Saturday, with champions Juventus facing Sassuolo on Sunday with Cristiano Ronaldo still waiting for his first goal for the Turin giants.