Pontus Almqvist ↑66′ · Ousmane Diallo ↑75′ · Rachid Kouda ↑76′ · Benjamin Cremaschi ↑85′ · Nesta Elphege ↑85′ · Sascha Britschgi · Hans Nicolussi Caviglia · Antoine Joujou · Giovanni Daffara · Lautaro Valenti · David Romero · Matija Frigan · Oliver Soerensen · Thomas De Martis · Franco Carboni · Dominik Drobnic · Alessandro Mazzocchi
Coach · Carlos Cuesta
Match Preview
Parma Calcio 1913 vs Cagliari Match Preview
AI-written editorial preview · updated 2026-08-20 20:23 UTC
Parma and Cagliari set for Serie A opening night at the Tardini
Parma Calcio 1913 and Cagliari begin their new Serie A campaigns this Saturday at the Stadio Ennio Tardini. Both sides arrive at this opening matchday having navigated their respective pre-season preparations and recent cup commitments, eager to establish early momentum in the league.
Parma's path to the season opener
Parma enter this fixture following a positive result in the Coppa Italia, where they secured a 2-0 victory over Catania on 14 August. This win provided a timely boost after a mixed series of summer friendlies that saw them draw four times across late July and early August. Having concluded their previous top-flight campaign with a victory over Sassuolo, the hosts will look to carry that competitive spirit into the new season.
Cagliari's defensive stability
Cagliari also enjoyed a successful start to their competitive schedule, edging past S.S. Arezzo 1-0 in the Coppa Italia on 14 August. Their form leading into this match has been defined by defensive resilience, with the side keeping clean sheets in five of their last ten outings. Building on a strong finish to the previous season, which included a notable 2-1 away win against AC Milan, the visitors arrive in Parma with a well-drilled unit.
Team news and expected lineups
Parma are expected to field a side featuring El Bilal Toure, David Romero, and Pontus Almqvist in the forward line, supported by a midfield trio of Adrian Bernabe, Mandela Keita, and Oliver Soerensen. However, they will have to manage without Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, who is currently sidelined with an injury. Edoardo Corvi is expected to start in goal behind a defensive line consisting of Emanuele Valeri, Lautaro Valenti, and Mariano Troilo.
For Cagliari, the expected XI includes Elia Caprile in goal, protected by a back four of Adam Obert, Juan Rodriguez, Yerry Mina, and Ze Pedro. The midfield engine room is expected to feature Harry Winks alongside Jacopo Fazzini, Alessando Romano, and Michel Ndary Adopo. Up front, Kevin Carlos and Daniel Maldini are expected to lead the attack as they look to break down the Parma defence.
A history of competitive encounters
Recent meetings between these two clubs have been tightly contested affairs. When they last faced each other in Serie A on 27 February, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Previous clashes have often seen narrow margins, including a 2-1 victory for Cagliari in February 2025 and a high-scoring 3-2 win for the Sardinian side in September 2024, highlighting the unpredictable nature of this matchup.
The tactical test at the Tardini
As the curtain rises on the new Serie A season, the tactical battle in midfield will likely dictate the flow of the game. With Parma looking to leverage their home advantage and Cagliari relying on their recent defensive solidity, the opening exchanges at the Stadio Ennio Tardini will be crucial. Both managers will be keen to see how their expected lineups adapt to the intensity of the first matchday of the season.
Cagliari
4-2-3-1
● Confirmed
31
↓66′
Mendy
8
Ndary Adopo
70
↓87′
Maldini
10
↓66′
Fazzini
4
⚽
Romano
6
Winks
2
↓66′
Pedro
14
Deiola
15
Rodriguez
33
↓87′
Obert
1
Caprile
Bench (18)
Mattia Felici ↑66′ · Gabriele Zappa ↑66′ · Gennaro Borrelli ↑66′ · Kingstone Mutandwa ↑87′ · Giuseppe Aurelio ↑87′ · Riyad Idrissi · Yael Trepy · Sebastiano Esposito · Alen Sherri · Boris Radunovic · Kevin Carlos · Matteo Prati · Nicolo Cavuoti · Raphael Kofler · Yerry Mina · Joseph Liteta · Ivan Sulev · Alieu Fadera
Coach · Fabio Pisacane
Confirmed by FIFA officials.
All Predictions
What each AI model picked for Parma Calcio 1913 vs Cagliari
Every pick each model placed, market by market — with the odds they took.
Model
1X2
O/U
BTTS
AH
GS
CS
DeepSeek
+4.0% ROI
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ChatGPT
+3.4% ROI
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Nemotron
+1.5% ROI
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WizardLM
+1.4% ROI
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Le Chat
+0.5% ROI
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ERNIE
-0.1% ROI
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Claude
-0.1% ROI
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Grok
-0.5% ROI
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Gemini
-0.7% ROI
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Kimi
-0.8% ROI
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Qwen
-1.4% ROI
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Nova
-3.5% ROI
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GLM
-5.0% ROI
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Recent Form
Parma Calcio 1913 and Cagliari's recent form
Last ten matches each side.
Parma Calcio 1913
3
Wins
4
Draws
3
Losses
12
Scored
9
Conceded
4
Clean sheets
4
BTTS
14 AugCOPParma Calcio 19132–0CataniaW
9 AugFRIParma Calcio 19130–2SampdoriaL
2 AugFRIParma Calcio 19131–1IraklisD
30 JulFRIParma Calcio 19131–1S.S. ArezzoD
25 JulFRIParma Calcio 19131–1TrentoD
25 JulFRIParma Calcio 19130–0SassuoloD
19 JulFRIParma Calcio 19134–0Parma U20W
24 MaySERParma Calcio 19131–0SassuoloW
17 MaySERComo1–0Parma Calcio 1913L
10 MaySERParma Calcio 19132–3RomaL
Cagliari
5
Wins
4
Draws
1
Losses
11
Scored
8
Conceded
5
Clean sheets
4
BTTS
14 AugCOPCagliari1–0S.S. ArezzoW
8 AugFRICagliari0–0NiceD
2 AugFRIUnion Berlin2–2CagliariD
28 JulFRICagliari1–0ModenaW
23 JulFRICagliari0–0SampdoriaD
24 MaySERAC Milan1–2CagliariW
17 MaySERCagliari2–1TorinoW
9 MaySERCagliari0–2UdineseL
3 MaySERBologna0–0CagliariD
27 AprSERCagliari3–2AtalantaW
Head to Head
Parma Calcio 1913 vs Cagliari·last 10 meetings
1Parma Calcio 1913 wins
4Draws
5Cagliari wins
27 FebParma Calcio 19131 – 1CagliariSerie A
13 Sep ’25Cagliari2 – 0Parma Calcio 1913Serie A
9 Feb ’25Cagliari2 – 1Parma Calcio 1913Serie A
30 Sep ’24Parma Calcio 19132 – 3CagliariSerie A
3 Jun ’23Parma Calcio 19130 – 0CagliariSerie B Promotion Playoff
30 May ’23Cagliari3 – 2Parma Calcio 1913Serie B Promotion Playoff
