Inter Milan Extend Serie A Lead With Late Thuram Strike

Inter Milan have stretched their lead at the summit of Serie A, defeating Parma 2-0 in a tense, fog-laden encounter at the Stadio Ennio Tardini on January 7, 2026. With this result, Inter now stand four points clear at the top, notching their sixth consecutive league victory and sending a clear message to their title rivals ahead of a high-stakes clash with Napoli at the weekend.

The Nerazzurri, managed by Cristian Chivu, approached the match with one eye on the looming Scudetto showdown against the reigning champions, Napoli. Chivu shuffled his lineup accordingly, resting key figures such as Alessandro Bastoni and initially leaving stalwarts like Nicolo Barella, Francesco Acerbi, Ange-Yoan Bonny, and Marcus Thuram on the bench. Despite the rotations, Inter delivered a professional and composed performance, underlining their depth and championship credentials.

Federico Dimarco was the man to break the deadlock, striking just before halftime in the 42nd minute. The left-back found the net from a tight angle, beating Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but after a tense VAR review, it was rightfully awarded, sending the Inter supporters into raptures. Dimarco’s impact continues to be immense—this was his third goal of the season, and with five assists, he now boasts eight goal involvements, the joint-most for any defender in Europe’s top five leagues alongside Bayer Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo.

“Today it was important to win and that’s what we did, now we can start thinking about Sunday’s match,” Dimarco told DAZN after the final whistle, his focus already shifting to the looming battle against Napoli.

The first half was a lively affair, with both teams rattling the woodwork. Inter’s Yann Bisseck and young forward Francesco Pio Esposito each struck the bar, while Parma’s Jacob Ondrejka saw his acrobatic volley tipped onto the post by Yann Sommer. Despite these near-misses, Inter entered the break with a slender advantage, their organization and defensive discipline holding firm against a spirited Parma side.

The second half saw Inter continue to manage proceedings, though they missed opportunities to extend their lead. Petar Sucic, played through one-on-one by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, fired wide in what was arguably the best chance of the half. Parma, determined to make a game of it, thought they had found an equalizer late on when Ange-Yoan Bonny slotted home from close range. However, VAR intervened once more, ruling the goal out for a handball by Marcus Thuram in the build-up—a decision that left Bonny disappointed but ultimately proved correct.

Bonny, reflecting on his return to Parma, expressed mixed emotions: “It wasn’t an easy match; it’s always tough here. For us, these are three very important points. It’s a shame about the disallowed goal, I’m sorry, but today the three points mattered much more. Parma is a special place for me; I fell in love with it when I arrived here. They welcomed me so well today, and I can only thank the city, it was really nice to come back. Sunday will be a very important match against a great team: we’re ready to play against Napoli.”

As the match entered stoppage time, Inter finally made their dominance count. Marcus Thuram, who had come on as a substitute, atoned for his earlier handball by latching onto a perfectly weighted ball over the top from Nicolo Barella. Thuram coolly slotted home in the 97th minute—the latest goal Inter have scored in Serie A since the league returned to a 20-team format in 2004-05—sealing the victory and sparking wild celebrations among the visiting fans.

“The important thing today was to win, and we did so. We are focussed on ourselves; we need to do our job because the league campaign is a long one,” Carlos Augusto commented, echoing the team’s measured approach to their current success.

Parma, for their part, can take some positives from a match in which they created chances and struck the woodwork, but ultimately lacked the clinical edge required to trouble the league leaders. Inter’s defensive structure, marshaled by the likes of Akanji—who spoke of his satisfaction adapting to the team and readiness for the Napoli clash—proved too resilient for the hosts.

With this win, Inter have now secured 14 victories in their opening 18 matches, matching some of their best-ever starts to a Serie A campaign. Their attacking prowess is equally impressive, having scored at least 40 goals after 18 games for the fifth time in the past six seasons—a feat they managed only five times in the previous 70 years.

The result heaps pressure on their closest pursuers. AC Milan, currently second and level on points with Napoli, have the chance to cut Inter’s lead to a single point when they host Genoa. Meanwhile, Napoli’s 2-2 draw with Verona—where Giovanni Di Lorenzo salvaged a point with a late equalizer—means they remain four points adrift and continue to grapple with an ongoing injury crisis. Key players such as Andre-Frank Anguissa, Romelu Lukaku, and star signing Kevin De Bruyne remain sidelined, further complicating their title defense.

Elsewhere in Serie A, Atalanta continued their revival with a 2-0 win at Bologna, thanks to a brace from Nikola Krstovic, while Fiorentina drew 2-2 at Lazio after a dramatic stoppage-time penalty from Pedro. But all eyes now turn to the San Siro, where Inter and Napoli are set for a titanic showdown that could have massive implications for the Scudetto race.

Inter’s victory over Parma not only extends their lead at the top but also sends a statement to their rivals: this team, even when rotating and facing adversity, finds a way to win. With momentum firmly on their side and a crucial clash against Napoli looming, the Nerazzurri look every bit the favorites in this enthralling Serie A title chase.