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Parma was pinned back into its own half from the off as Inter created early chances, with Francesco Pio Esposito's header failing to trouble Parma keeper Edoardo Corvi.

Yann Bisseck fired a powerful shot from outside the area which Corvi tipped onto the crossbar and Lautaro Martinez headed over from close range as Inter piled on the pressure.

A rare Parma attack ended with Jacob Ondrejka hitting a volley off the post, a warning to Inter, which went up the other end and Esposito's shot clipped the bar but the visitors took the lead three minutes before the break.

Dimarco played a pass into Esposito in the box and the under-pressure forward laid the ball back to Dimarco, who drove his shot in off the upright from a tight angle.

Parma proved better at stifling Inter's attacking threat in the second half, although Petar Sucic had an excellent chance to double the lead.

Sucic did well to beat the offside trap and get on the end of Hakan Calhanoglu's pass but with just the keeper to beat he blasted wide and was hauled off minutes later by Inter's frustrated manager Cristian Chivu.

Chivu guided Parma to Serie A safety last season after taking over with 13 games remaining in his first senior managerial role, but this season the Romanian has his sights set on a much bigger prize.

His Inter side will head into Monday's (AEDT) clash at San Siro with Napoli with a four-point cushion over the defending champion.

Ange-Yoan Bonny had a goal disallowed in added time for a handball in the build-up but Thuram netted the second Inter goal after going through one-on-one with the keeper.

The win puts Inter on 42 points, four ahead of both AC Milan, which hosts Genoa on Friday (AEDT), and Napoli, which was held to a 2-2 draw by Hellas Verona earlier in the day.

Parma is 15th in the standings on 18 points.