MY ACCOUNT
– Coppa Italia holders Inter Milan have only missed out on a quarter-final once since 2003
– Relegated last season, Parma have won neither of their last two Serie B games
– Recommended bet: Inter to win to zero
Second-tier Parma will be aiming to upset the odds against a strong Inter Milan side on Tuesday night as Coppa Italia action returns at the last-16 stage.
Sitting sixth in Serie B and well anchored in the playoff positions, Parma could well bring joy to the Stadio Ennio Tardini with a place in the last eight of the domestic cup if they can outmanoeuvre their Milanese opponents at the San Siro.
Three-time winners of the competition between 1992 and 2002, The Crusaders have fallen on hard times over the last two decades and sank out of the professional ranks — as low as Serie D — back in 2016 for only the second time in their existence.
Relegated from the top flight last season, Tuesday’s match will test whether they are ready to mix it up with the elite once more, though the gap in quality remains considerable.
Team news
Romelu Lukaku is expected to miss the tie due to knee inflammation, having come on as a substitute in Saturday’s 2-2 league draw with Monza, seemingly struggling.
Gianluigi Buffon, the famous name on the Crociati roster, has been struggling for fitness following a hamstring injury since re-joining the club at which he began his career. He made three appearances in the early half of the season but his absence continues into the Inter Milan encounter.
The stats
Holders Inter Milan boast some cup pedigree. They have not failed to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals in any of the last eight seasons — their one slip-up in 2013-14 was their only elimination before that stage since 2003. No fewer than five titles have come their way since then, from seven finals in all.
The Black and Blues also host Hellas Verona — Serie A’s basement club — on Saturday and can likely afford to use their firepower to ensure they avoid a potential banana skin.
Parma fell in round one last season and also failed in both of their last two attempts to reach the quarter-finals, in 2019-20 and 2020-21, when they entered at the third round stage as a lower-ranked Serie A club.
They have one point from their last two league games and the crunch match against Bari — another fallen giant lying just three points above them in the Serie B table — means they can ill afford to over-commit on Tuesday night.
Prediction
As romantic as the story would be, the odds of a surprise result in Milan are stacked against Parma — and for good reason.
While they are well poised for the latter half of the league season, they have not set the second tier alight on re-entry and their schedule does not aid a deep cup run.
Inter have a crown to defend and will be a formidable opponent. Fringe players will be keen to play their way into head coach Simone Inzaghi’s side as they vie to cement Champions League qualification, with the squad also gearing up for their knockout campaign that begins against Porto in February.
Though stranger things have happened, last year’s runners-up to the Scudetto should have too much in their arsenal for their lower-league guests and a win to zero for Inter is 10/11 with LiveScore Bet.
