Parma defeated Chievo 3-2 at the Stadio Bentegodi on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.
Mariano Izco opened the scoring in the first half for the Flying Donkeys. Antonio Cassano scored two goals and Massimo Coda scored the other for the Ducali in the second half while Alberto Paloschi pulled one back for Chievo.
Chievo took the lead after just four minutes. Dejan Lazarevic made a run from left-wing and he dribbled near the goal-line. He centred the ball and Valter Birsa missed it but Izco ran in to fire the ball into the net.
After the goal, the Crociati started to control the play and the Flying Donkeys would hit on the break when possible.
Cassano got a touch on Francesco Lodi’s free-kick from the right but his shot is parried on the goal-line by Francesco Bardi.
The Flying Donkeys went on a counterattack and after Lazarevic made a run down the middle, passed to Maxi Lopez on his left and the Argentinian’s side-footed shot just missed Antonio Mirante’s bottom left corner.
Parma centre-back Alessandro Lucarelli had a goal disallowed after he handballed Lodi’s corner into the net.
Cristiano Biraghi’s left-wing cross was cleared by the Parma defence but Perparim Hetemaj still got the loose ball and slipped while he had shot.
Just before half-time, Nicolas Frey got ahead of Abdelkader Ghezzal and headed Cassano’s right-wing cross away.
The second half started off with Parma trying to create something and Chievo putting 10 men behind the ball and rarely threatening on the counterattack. Maxi Lopez’s turn and shot straight at Mirante was the exception.
Cassano levelled the scores after 65 minutes. After a slip from a Chievo midfielder, Coda — who had come on as a substitute — won the ball and surged down the middle. He passed to Cassano on his left, who shrugged off Dario Dainelli’s challenge and bent a shot into Bardi’s top left corner.
This opened the game up and Parma took the lead after 76 minutes thanks to Coda. Daniele Galloppa — also a second half substitute — bent a cross from the left flank and Coda controlled the ball with his right foot before striking the ball into the net with his left.
Cassano made it 3-1 for the Ducali just a minute later. Coda passed to Cassano and then he passed to Galloppa. Galloppa crossed to Coda at the far post who knocked the ball down with his head and Cassano volleyed his shot into the net from about six metres.
Paloschi pulled the score back to 3-2 when a corner came from the right and he tapped the ball in after a scramble in the penalty box.
Chievo searched for an equaliser but Parma remained calm and organised in defence.
