Napoli’s goalless draw yesterday meant a point would be enough, but Inter weren’t making it easy for themselves early on, giving Enrico Del Prato a free header from close range, though had he found the target, the home side may have been spared by the offside flag.
Four minutes later, it was Inter’s turn to go close with a headed chance – Denzel Dumfries nodding wide when cutting in to meet Nicolò Barella’s ball.
Despite confirming their safety in the previous round, Parma weren’t on the beach just yet, and 20 minutes in Mateo Pellegrino was wasteful with a rushed volley when he had time to take a touch.
The Nerazzurri were millimetres away from breaking the deadlock midway through the half when Barella linked up superbly with Petar Sučić and Pio Esposito before firing against the underside of the bar, and Zion Suzuki scrambled the ball clear before anyone in black & blue could pounce on the rebound.
Parma had kept clean sheets in their previous two games, and they were almost halfway to an unlikely third in succession until first-half added time.
They were unlocked by a simple Piotr Zieliński through ball to Marcus Thuram, who set himself before guiding home his sixth goal in the last five league games to put Inter ahead at half time.
The floodgates failed to open for the home side early in the second half, though against a side that had scored 25 times all season, one goal was quickly looking to be enough for Cristian Chivu’s side, for whom Sučić’s blocked effort was the only shot at either end before the hour mark.
Federico Dimarco was Inter’s driving force as the final quarter of the match began, twice getting free down the left and sending dangerous low balls into the box, but one was just behind Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and the other blasted over by Dumfries.
Substitute Lautaro Martínez finally produced the first shot on target of the half when he collected Barella’s cutback but sent it straight at Suzuki in the 78th minute, but not only did the second arrive just two minutes later, but it killed the game and secured the title.
This time Martínez was the provider, sending a low cross over from the right for the sliding Mkhitaryan to tap in.
It’s five wins in six for Inter and 11 home matches unbeaten, but a second scudetto in three years is the only thing that matters for Il Biscione.
The offside flag denied Nesta Elphege a consolation for Carlos Cuesta’s side who suffered just a second away defeat in seven, and are now 10 H2H matches without a win.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Nicolò Barella (Inter Milan)