Parma fell to yet another home defeat in Serie A on Sunday evening as Napoli left the Stadio Ennio Tardini with maximum points, strolling to a 4-0 win.
The result was never really in doubt and in front of a loud and sizeable away following, Napoli had control of the game from early on.
Napoli’s own Roberto Inglese was the biggest threat for the Parmigiani in a first half that was dominated by the visitors, aside from the occasional break through the forward for Roberto D’Aversa’s side.
After back-to-back scoreless draws, it was always going to be important for Napoli to take one of their early chances and Piotr Zielinski did just that. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were their usual patient selves in possession but Elseid Hysaj spotted an opening and set the Pole in on the left and from there Zielinski made no mistake in tapping into Luigi Sepe’s corner.
Dries Mertens and Arkadiusz Milik had shots after, but neither were able to find the target.
Milik wasn’t made to wait long for his goal though as he took responsibility when the Partenopei were handed a freekick on the edge of the area. The No.99 cleverly placed his effort under the jumping wall, giving Sepe no time to get down and turn it away and instead he left the ex-Napoli goalkeeper to pick the ball from his net.
What followed was little more than a formality, with Napoli just keeping things ticking over as time progressed.
Parma did think they were presented with the chance to pull one back though when a penalty was awarded after Bruno Alves went to ground, only for Daniele Chiffi to refer to VAR and overturn his decision.
Two became three when Jonathan Biabiany played a blind pass back to his own defence which did nothing other than tee up Arek Milik for his second, allowing the forward to use Alves as a guide to curl the ball around before it nestled in Sepe’s right-hand corner.
Adam Ounas joined the party in the 80th minute and got involved in the scoring with what might have been his first touch and within two minutes of his arrival.
Goals arrive like buses for Napoli
It’s cliché, but so often true, and so it proved again on Sunday as Napoli, who hadn’t scored in their last two Serie A outings, netted four times as they put their hosts to the sword.
The Azzurri were anything but forgiving and anything resembling an error on Parma’s part was pounced upon – most evident as Milik made it 3-0.
Fortress Tardini continues to fall
The Serie A season started so well at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, but Parma’s home form has taken a complete turn and the Crociati now lose more points than they gather at home.
In their first nine at home this season, Parma won three, drew four and lost just two. Since then, things have taken gone downhill and the Gialloblu have lost four in a row in front of their own supporters.
The shine that covered them early this season has long been faded, and they have won just once in 2019 and twice since the beginning of December.
