Parma 2 Inter 0
Inter's hopes of winning a trophy this season may well depend on their Coppa Italia tie with Roma on Tuesday after a 2-0 defeat at Parma tonight saw them fall further off the pace in the race for the Scudetto.
Goals from Sebastian Giovinco in the first half and Amauri after the break inflicted a second defeat in three days on the Nerazzurri, who followed up their Champions League elimination to Schalke with a defeat which leaves them eight points adrift of Serie A leaders AC Milan with five games remaining.
Parma, on the other hand, move four points clear of the bottom three thanks to a crucial win at the Stadio Tardini.
Inter still seemed a bit tense after their Champions League elimination to Schalke and a string of errors early on almost let the hosts in.
Parma, needing the points to move away from the relegation zone, were more attack-minded and focused with Alessandro Lucarelli going close with a shot over the crossbar in the fifth minute.
The lively Giovinco was causing the Inter rearguard problems and he almost earned a penalty when he was tackled inside the penalty area by Houssine Kharja.
Dejan Stankovic tried to shake his side up and he had the goalposts shaking in the 23rd minute when his powerful long-range free-kick clattered the woodwork.
Five minutes later, the Serbian midfielder tried his luck again from distance, this time from open play, but Antonio Mirante made the save.
Giovinco then put the home team ahead 10 minutes before the interval.
He latched onto a well-placed pass from Francesco Modesto to beat Julio Cesar and stun the defending champions.
Leonardo sent Wesley Sneijder on at the start of the second half with full-back Cristian Chivu sacrificed.
The Dutchman almost levelled on the hour mark when his shot only just missed the post.
But it was Parma who continued to pose the greater threat with Amauri pouncing on a mistake by Javier Zanetti, only to shoot against the crossbar.
Amauri did find the back of the net in the 86th minute, though, to seal the win for Parma and take them four points clear of the relegation zone with five games of the season remaining.