Coppa Italia returns: all you need to know ahead of Inter vs Parma

After last season's triumph at the Stadio Olimpico, the reigning champions, the Nerazzurri, return to the Coppa Italia for tonight's match against Parma in the round of 16 of the competition.

MARTINS' HEROICS

Inter and Parma last faced each other in the Coppa Italia in the 2005/06 round of 16, a season in which the Nerazzurri won the trophy by beating Lazio in the quarter-finals, Udinese in the semis and Roma in the two-legged final decided by a 3-1 win in the return leg with goals from Cambiasso, Cruz and Martins. Martins also scored the winner for Inter in that Parma game, with his goal in the first leg of the round of 16 against tonight's opponent (the return leg saw a goalless draw).

LAUTARO'S GOALS AND THE CONTEST'S PAST COMPETITORS

Lautaro Martínez, since making his Coppa Italia debut in January 2019, has scored the most goals for Inter in the competition, five, all scored in home games: with braces against Benevento and AC Milan and goals against Juventus. Among the tie's former players are Alessandro Bastoni, who scored his first Serie A goal for Parma (in the 3-3 draw between Parma and Sampdoria on 5 May 2019), Matteo Darmian, who racked up 34 appearances with the Gialloblu, and Federico Dimarco, who made 14 appearances for the Crociati in 2018/19.

FORM

In the last edition of the Coppa Italia, Inter conceded goals in only two of their five matches played: in the 3-2 victory against Empoli in the round of 16 and 4-2 win against Juventus in the final. The Nerazzurri have won their last two matches in the Coppa Italia and could get at least three wins in a row in the competition for the first time since January 2011 (their record streak in the tournament being seven). Since the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia has been a drawn tie, Parma have made it past this stage on two occasions (against Fiorentina in December 2010 and against Cagliari in January 2015).

Best Goals | Coppa Italia Round of 16

PREVIOUS MATCHES

Inter are unbeaten in seven of their 10 meetings with Parma in the Coppa Italia with four wins and three draws (the Gialloblù's three wins came between 1999 and 2000). The Nerazzurri have, however, won only one of their four home matches against Parma in the Coppa Italia, 3-1 in September 1973; since then, they have recorded one defeat and two draws with one being a goalless draw.