Preview: Inter Milan vs Parma - prediction, team news, lineups

All set to claim their 21st Serie A title, Inter Milan aim to celebrate in style when they welcome Parma to San Siro on Sunday evening.

Even if Napoli and AC Milan produce wins, imperious Inter can wrap up the Scudetto with yet another home victory.

Match preview

Already champions-elect, Inter could be crowned kings of Italian football this weekend, sewing up top spot with three rounds of action still remaining.

Should they beat Parma - or if Napoli lose to Como and Milan fail to win against Sassuolo - then the deal would be sealed, leaving them to focus on securing a rare domestic double.

Cristian Chivu's side can look forward to meeting Lazio in the upcoming Coppa Italia final, but first they must conclude their quest to finish first in Serie A.

A late collapse saw Inter's recent success streak unexpectedly ended last week; having won four straight games while scoring at least three goals, they had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Torino.

Setting up both goals before Toro fought back, Federico Dimarco recorded his 16th and 17th assists of the season - breaking a Serie A record - but that was not quite enough.

Helped by their dynamic wing-back, Inter have scored 80 top-flight goals so far; only Barcelona and Bayern Munich have managed more across Europe's top five leagues this term.

The Nerazzurri also boast a home goal difference of +32, which is the club's best at this stage of any campaign since the late 1950s, summing up their supremacy at San Siro.

Ahead of Sunday night's contest, their last home loss against Parma dates back to 2018; Dimarco was the Gialloblu's lone scorer that day, registering his first-ever Serie A strike.

Considering league meetings, Parma have only beaten Inter in Milan on one other occasion - a 3-1 victory in May 1999 - which demonstrates the size of their task.

Incidentally, Dimarco was also on target when they lost this season's reverse fixture, but the Emilian club can hope to fare better on Sunday.

Putting the seal on top-flight survival, Parma have won their last two games without conceding, beating both Udinese and Pisa 1-0.

Twice, Nesta Elphege has emerged from the bench to net the Gialloblu's winner, lifting his team further away from any relegation danger - in fact, they could even finish inside the top half.

By losing just two of their last 11 league matches, Carlos Cuesta's side have certainly affirmed their reputation as a strong, compact unit.

Parma currently have the ninth-best defensive record in Serie A, rarely conceding multiple goals and keeping 12 clean sheets - but Inter could put them through their toughest test yet.

Inter Milan Serie A form:

D D W W W D

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

D W W W W D

Parma Serie A form:

L L D D W W

Team News

Though Hakan Calhanoglu and Luis Henrique are still sidelined, the hosts expect to welcome back captain Lautaro Martinez from injury, while Alessandro Bastoni may be fit to start after overcoming an ankle problem.

Alongside the latter, Dimarco, Matteo Darmian and Ange-Yoan Bonny all have a Parma past, in addition to head coach Chivu, who made his senior managerial debut with the Gialloblu last year.

Bonny must vie with Martinez and Pio Esposito to partner Marcus Thuram up front. Back in top form, Thuram averaged one goal involvement every 46 minutes during April.

Following his recent strike against Torino, the French forward now has 50 goals for Inter; he has also scored in all three previous Serie A appearances against Parma, father Lilian's former club.

His unheralded compatriot Elphege hopes to start for the visitors, having been involved in one goal in each of his last three matches - an assist versus Napoli, plus winners against Udinese and Pisa.

However, Cuesta generally prefers to pair main man Mateo Pellegrino with the diminutive Gabriel Strefezza in a 3-5-2 formation.

Parma have an almost full squad available, as only long-term absentee Matija Frigan and USA midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi are ruled out by injury.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Parma possible starting lineup:

Suzuki; Circati, Troilo, Ndiaye; Delprato, Keita, Nicolussi Caviglia, Bernabe, Valeri; Strefezza, Pellegrino