Prior to traveling to Turin to face table-topping Juventus at the tail-end of last month Parma had built-up an impressive 17-game unbeaten streak in Serie A, a spell of results that had stretched back to October of last year, and were an attractive outside bet to sneak into a sought-after and keenly-contested final Champions League berth.
However, la Vecchia Signora ended that run at the Juventus Stadium, cantering to a routine 2-0 win, and then the Roberto Donadoni-managed team suffered back-to-back losses in the capital - first to Lazio and then to swashbuckling Roma [4-2] in a wildly-entertaining re-arranged match at the Olimpico.
Wounded but undeterred by the trio of setbacks, the Gialloblu rebounded with an unexpected home win against second-place-chasing Napoli. Disappointingly, though, they drew one-all at relegation-threatened Bologna last time out.
So there are question marks as to whether they're fully over their rough spell.
And on Saturday [April 19, 14.00] they face a stern examination against an inconsistent if capable Inter side who thrashed in-form Sampdoria in Genoa on Sunday afternoon and who lie one place [fifth] and two points ahead in the league table.
A win for either side would stack the deck in their favour for Europa League football next season.
And though the Milanese giants have only tasted defeat once in their last eight, their form can be described as up-and-down at best - and the habit of failing to finish off sides when they have them hurt has resulted in more draws [14] in Serie A than any other club.
Though they scored four without reply at the weekend, the 18-time league champions had previously drawn three games on the spin and threw away a two-goal half-time lead at lowly Livorno.
There's plenty for Walter Mazzarri's blue and black-shirted men to work on - if they'd converted half of those draws into wins then they'd be third - and they'll be without suspended defender Andrea Ranocchia [their only fresh absentee] for the visit to Ennio Tardini, where Parma have only lost twice at [to current one and two, Juventus and Roma] all term.
So it's an interesting-looking match-up between an ambitious pair who're looking to improve season-by-season and break back into the Italian elite, where many will argue a club of Inter's size and stature belong, which means Champions League football, increased attendances and, ultimately, greater revenue.
Encouragingly for Inter, some of their best form has arrived on the road this term [only four defeats in 16 and 32 goals scored]; the flip-side is that the host's have rarely looked as though they're going to lose at home.
Controversial forward Antonio Cassano, whose outstanding form over the past nine months has seen him re-monitored by Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli ahead of this summer's World Cup, may have failed to net since March 16, but he has chipped-in with 11 strikes for Parma this season and will be eager to register against the side who dispensed with his services over the summer.
If the visitor's want to grab a rare win in Parma - it would be their first since Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a brace in 2008 - they'll need to look towards 15-goal [nine away from the San Siro] South American Rodrigo Palacio, who's only behind Immobile, Higuain, Tevez & Luca Toni in the race to take the highly-prized capocannoniere [the Serie A golden boot].
With Parma looking better at home and Inter appearing to be a more ferocious animal away from the expectation and shackles of the Giuseppe Meazza, it would come as little surprise if the game ended in a low-scoring stalemate. Yet i get the feeling that I Ducali will be the ones left smiling in northern Italy.
Tips:
- Parma have won each of their last three against Inter at home - and have kept two clean sheets in the process. The Emilia-Romagna-based side are 8/5 with William Hill to win.
- Inter have netted first in their last three away matches in Serie A. The Nerazzurri are 6/5 with Bet365 to bulge the net first.
- Rodrigo Palacio has scored nine goals against Parma, including his first-ever Serie A strike. The Argentine is 15/8 with BetVictor to bag anytime.
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