Inter Milan's Title Charge Stalls After Throwing Away Points At Parma

Inter Milan stumbled in their bid to retain the Serie A title after throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Parma on Saturday, giving Napoli a chance to cut the champions' league lead to a single point. Goals in the first half from Matteo Darmian and Marcus Thuram appeared to have sent Inter on their way to moving six points clear at the top of the division ahead of their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich. But Adrian Bernabe halved the deficit for Parma on the hour mark with a daisy cutter from distance, and the hosts were level nine minutes later when Jacob Ondrejka's strike was deflected past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

Inter have a packed April and came into Saturday's match in the wake of Wednesday's 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan in the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final.

"We've had a lot of commitments, we'd just played a derby, and you can't always find the right spirit to get the three points," said Inter's assistant coach Massimiliano Farris to DAZN.

"The team couldn't find the mental or physical energy to contain Parma. We shouldn't have been in the position to concede those goals."

Moments before Ondrejka's leveller, Farris, in charge of Inter in place of suspended coach Simone Inzaghi, had substituted key players Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu.

Those substitutions, as well as the taking off star wing-back Federico Dimarco seconds before Bernabe's first-ever Serie A goal, left Inter toothless as they tried to regain the lead.

Inter now need in-form Bologna, who are fourth and chasing Champions League qualification, to stop Napoli on Monday night after an awful second half performance at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.

Saturday's draw ruined a special day for Thuram, whose 17th goal