Inter had never won at the Stadio Tardini before and faced an even tougher task in the absence of Christian Vieri, Hernan Crespo, Mohamed Kallon and Nicola Ventola. The only two strikers at Hector Cuper's disposal were Alvaro Recoba and 18-year-old Obafemi Martins.
The Nerazzurri had the first chance of the game after less than a minute when Sebastien Frey palmed out Recoba's angled drive.
Frey was one of the Ex-Men playing in this game as Adriano, Adrian Mutu, Mathias Almeyda, Fabio Cannavaro, Sergio Conceicao, Vratislav Gresko and Matteo Ferrari were taking on their former club.
It was a doubly emotional occasion for Fabio Cannavaro - the former Parma captain returning to the Tardini for the first time since his summer move and playing against younger brother Paolo.
Parma almost had their own injury crisis after three minutes when teammates Antonio Benarrivo and Ferrari clashed heads. Veteran Benarrivo insisted to carry on playing despite a deep cut above his left eye.
Parma started to increase the pressure and Adriano skipped past two players before Francesco Toldo bravely threw himself at his feet.
The Brazilian thought he had broken the deadlock with a splendid solo effort, but it was correctly disallowed for a very tight offside position.
Soon after Toldo's hands were stung by another powerful Adriano free kick from 25 metres and the 'keeper made another good save on the unmarked Mutu.
Despite the pressure, it was Inter who took the lead on 36 minutes. Cannavaro latched onto a Recoba free kick and it took Gigi Di Biagio two attempts to get past Frey.
The Gialloblu fought back and Toldo had to tip a perilous long range Mutu free kick over the bar.
There was controversy in first half stoppage time when Giovanni Pasquale shoulder charged Hidetoshi Nakata off the ball on the very edge of the box. There was another defender nearby so it was not a red card offence, but Pasquale had already been booked. Pierluigi Collina opted not to take further action.
Inter looked more enterprising in the second half and Frey required a splendid reaction save with his feet on Recoba.
On the counter-attack Adriano hesitated too long before handing the ball to Mutu on eight yards.
The equaliser eventually arrived on 55 minutes when Mutu's curling free kick took a decisive deflection off Javier Zanetti.
Most of the Gialloblu forward play went through Mutu and Toldo was at full stretch to block another low drive from the edge of the box.
The turning point came 15 minutes from time when Benarrivo hacked down Emre Belozoglu in the box. Recoba stepped up to bury the penalty into the roof of the net and restore Inter's lead.
Cristiano Zanetti made his Serie A comeback after six months on the sidelines with a hip problem.
Parma frankly should have scored the equaliser in stoppage time when Nakata threaded through for substitute Marco Marchionni, but his angled drive clipped the outside of the upright.
