Parma’s Dimarco stuns Inter Milan

MILAN: On-loan Parma defender Federico Dimarco stunned his parent club Inter Milan with a brilliant winner in a 1-0 victory at the San Siro on Saturday, just days before the hosts meet Tottenham in the Champions League.

Luciano Spalletti’s Inter fell to their second league defeat this season and have only four points from as many Serie A games ahead of their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.

The 20-year-old Dimarco came on as a substitute just after the interval and unleashed a fierce long-distance strike into the top corner to score his first Serie A goal in the 79th minute.

It gave promoted Parma their first league win this season, and first victory at the San Siro since May 1999. Two-time UEFA Cup winners Parma were declared bankrupt and demoted to the amateur leagues in 2015, before back-to-back promotions saw them return to Serie A.

Spalletti had rang the changes with a view to Tuesday’s Champions League opener, resting last year’s top scorer Mauro Icardi who had been struggling with a muscular injury. But the hosts failed to threaten despite early chances for new signing Radja Nainggolan and Marcelo Brozovic, with Ivan Perisic also forcing a save from Parma goalkeeper Luigi Sepe. Icardi came on after the break for Keita Balde and was also denied by Sepe.