Parma beat Fulham in pre-season friendly

By

Adel Taarabt made his Fulham debut as Parma came from behind to beat them 2-1 in an entertaining pre-season friendly at Craven Cottage.

Steve Sidwell, whose midfield partnership with summer signing Derek Boateng looks promising, opened the scoring with a brilliant 30-yard strike in the 10th minute.

Parma almost scored a spectacular goal of their own just after the half-hour mark, when Marco Parolo’s long-range effort beat keeper Maarten Stekelenburg and bounced down off the underside of the bar.

But the Italian side did draw level courtesy of Gabriel Paletta’s header from Antonio Cassano’s left-wing cross 12 minutes after the interval.

Taarabt, signed from QPR on a season-long loan this week, came on as a second-half substitute.

He sent a free-kick into the Parma wall before Bryan Ruiz went closer to putting Fulham back in front when he clipped a free-kick inches over the bar.

The visitors, who always looked dangerous on the counter attack, netted a late winner when Nicola Sansone headed home at the far post following good work by Gianni Munari.

Fulham (4-4-1-1):Stekelenburg; Riether, Hughes, Hangeland; Richardson (Riise 80); Dejagah (Taarabt 63); Sidwell (David 80), Boateng (Karagounis 63), Mesca (Duff 57); Ruiz (Kasami 76); Berbatov (Rodallega 45).

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

 

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook