Inter all but guaranteed their grip on fifth place with a convincing 2-0 victory away to Parma at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in round 34 of Serie A.
Walter Mazzarri’s side turned in a convincing performance to claim a crucial second consecutive away win at a ground they hadn’t tasted success at since 2008. Second half goals from Rolando and Fredy Guarin were enough to give the Nerazzurri the lead after Samir Handanovic had performed heroics at the other end of the pitch to save an Antonio Cassano penalty and keep a clean sheet.
Victory over Parma opened up a five point gap between fifth placed Inter and the opposition in sixth place and provides some breathing room as team near the season’s close and the pressure to seal European qualification is relieved.
The improvement in Inter’s form could not have occurred at a more crucial time as both Parma and AC Milan have staked their claim for continental football next season and aimed to take Inter’s spot. However, Mazzarri’s men have stood tall and ready to be accounted for, claiming back to back wins over Sampdoria and Parma when needed most. The side can now look to their four remaining fixtures against Napoli, Milan, Lazio and Chievo Verona with a little less pressure on their shoulders and ride out the season on a high.
Credit is due to Parma who enjoyed the better of the opening stages, testing Inter’s resolve with a number of chances on goal. Samir Handanovic had to be at his best to deny Cassano’s header from a corner early on with a save which will make any highlight show of the season. Then he would follow that up with more heroics before half-time.
As Parma looked to take the lead Walter Samuel brought down Marco Parolo in the box with a clumsy challenge and was punished with the award of a penalty to Parma. Handanovic was forced to produce another fantastic save from Cassano as the Italian striker saw his shot saved by the ‘keeper’s fingertips and pushed onto the crossbar and Parolo blasted the rebound wide of goal. Parma had blown their chance and Handanovic had kept his side in the game with a match-defining save.
The game turned in the Nerazzurri’s favour after half-time when Parma saw Gabriel Paletta dismissed for his second yellow when he hauled down Rodrigo Palacio from behind and had to go.
The resulting free kick saw Portuguese centre-back Rolando left completely unmarked in the box and he headed in to grant Inter a 1-0 lead which Parma were unable to breach.
The Nerazzurri were willing to play to Mazzarri’s favoured tactics of sitting deep and hitting Parma on the counter from then on. In the 89th minute Colombian midfielder Fredy Guarin led loose with a thunderbolt of a strike which rocketed low into the bottom corner of the goal and sealed a solid 2-0 win for the away side.
Following the game there are several positives for the Beneamata to take, not least the return to form of their ‘keeper over recent weeks. As I have mentioned previously the Slovenian is amongst the finest in world football in his position when on song, but during the past 12 months when wearing an Inter shirt he has seemed bereft of confidence.
This has not been helped by a revolving back three or four in front of him, no doubt. But Handanovic was always capable of producing to a higher standard than we have seen of late and finally he is coming good. As the club plan to move forward, there is little question of who their no.1 between the sticks should be.
Another positive for the fans and team was the inclusion of Mateo Kovacic from the start once more. This is the second game running that the Croatian has been included in the coach’s starting eleven and he turned in a solid, if unremarkable display. The midfielder was calm in possession with an accuracy of 85% and saw 69 touches on the ball. His defensive work should also be noted as he made five successful tackles helping his teammates win the midfield battle.
When Kovacic is playing alongside Hernanes he will not be expected to be the creative hub of Inter’s midfield, but it is interesting to see him adapting his style to suit Mazzarri’s system. Over the previous two games we have witnessed the Croatian work tirelessly to carry his teammates and perform his role in the midfield to full effect.
When placed on the left-flank away to Juventus, Mazzarri criticized Kovacic for not helping out defensively enough, well it appears that lesson has been learnt. It may not be his natural game, but the Croat is willing to adapt to fit in.
One negative will be the suspensions of Walter Samuel and Rolando who both picked up bookings against Parma and will miss the clash against Napoli. Combined with the injuries sustained to Juan Jesus and the absence of Andrea Ranocchia, Mazzarri could have to reshuffle his defence severely before the next match in round 35.
This was a crucial win for the Nerazzurri, without it they would have been under a lot more pressure going into the closing stages of the season. Whilst they cannot take their foot off the gas in the remaining fixtures and it will likely take them a minimum of six points from their available twelve to seal fifth place, they’ve cleared one more hurdle.
The club still have to plan for the summer, but they can do so in the knowledge that European football is all but guaranteed for Inter.
Follow Ryan Ross on Twitter: @rross11
