Parma vs Catania – News and Probable Lineups

Parma Calcio 1913 is set to entertain Catania FC at the Stadio Ennio Tardini during the Coppa Italia round of 64 this Friday.

The Serie A club is considered the favorite, while Catania faces registration challenges that have prevented several new players from participating in this match.

Match overview

Parma concluded the 2025-26 Serie A season in 13th place, achieving a secure survival under head coach Carlos Cuesta, who took over in June 2025 as a rookie coach after a five-year stint as Mikel Arteta’s assistant at Arsenal.

Matteo Pellegrino was the top scorer for the Gialloblu, netting nine times as Parma managed 28 goals but conceded 46, a defensive record that Cuesta will need to address.

The Crociati began their 2026/27 preparations at the Mutti Training Center in Collecchio on July 13, later moving to Trentino for a training camp in Pinzolo, which featured a triangular tournament at Trento’s Briamasco Stadium on July 25 against Sassuolo and the hosts.

Parma’s first summer friendly ended in a 1-1 draw against Arezzo in Pinzolo on July 30, with Kouda scoring from an Almqvist assist before Sala equalized with a long-range effort, as Cuesta made wholesale changes at half-time, and Frigan hit the crossbar later in the match.

A second 1-1 draw occurred on August 2 against Walter Mazzarri’s Iraklis Thessaloniki, with Koljic giving the Greek team the lead after an hour, only for substitute Mikolajewski to level things up in the 75th minute from a Kouda through ball.

Cuesta’s side ended their pre-season with a 0-2 loss to Sampdoria at the Tardini on August 9, highlighting the need for improvement in attacking patterns as the proper campaign approaches.

Now, the focus shifts to Friday’s Coppa Italia clash with Catania, as they aim to advance past the round of 16 this time around.

Catania finished as the runners-up in Serie C Group C, securing 19 victories, 13 draws, and six defeats; their season ended in disappointment after a crushing 4-0 first-leg defeat against Ascoli in the play-off semi-final, which was too large a deficit to overcome despite a 2-1 victory in the return leg at the Massimino.

The summer has been heavily affected by a registration crisis, as the Rossazzurri failed to meet the August 10 deadline to submit a supplementary bank guarantee to the federation, leaving approximately ten new signings unregistered and putting the club at risk of a points deduction—reportedly between two to five—pending Serie C’s rulings on the matter.

Emilio Longo, who was appointed from Crotone on July 3 to succeed Domenico Toscano, has nonetheless guided his depleted Elefanti through the Coppa Italia preliminary round, drawing 1-1 with newly promoted Vicenza, with Cicerelli’s penalty equalizing Moncini’s stunning bicycle-kick opener, eventually winning 5-4 in the penalty shootout.

This result brings Longo’s squad to the Stadio Ennio Tardini this Friday for the round of 32 fixture against Cuesta’s Parma, marking a significant leap in competition level compared to anything the Etnei faced in the third tier, providing an opportunity to gain some positive momentum after a tumultuous offseason.

Team News

Zion Suzuki is nearing a €35m transfer to PSG, which may exclude him from this weekend’s match, potentially leading to Edoardo Corvi being the starting goalkeeper for Parma.

El Bilal Toure, on loan from Atalanta, made his debut against Sampdoria and is expected to start alongside Pellegrino and Frigan in the attack; however, new signing David Romero will arrive in Parma the day before the match, ruling him out of contention.

Emilio Longo is still dealing with a thin squad after Catania missed another bank guarantee deadline on August 10, leaving his new signings unregistered.

Dini filled in as goalkeeper for the suspended Rinaldi in the fixture against Filippo Vicenza and should feature again, but with only around 16 senior players available, Salvatore Caturano can participate as his suspension is exclusive to league matches, and defender Fabio Ponsi has been brought in as emergency cover.

Parma probable starting XI:

Crows; Delprato, Trolio, Circati, Valeri; Ordonez, Sorensen, Keita; Frigan, Toure, Pellegrino

Catania probable starting XI:

Dini; Raimo, Ierardi, Quaini, Donnarumma; Tacchio, Corbari, Jimenez; Cicerelli, Lunetta; They catch

Parma heads into this match with confidence, as Carlos Cuesta seeks to lead his team into the next stage of the competition.

The visiting team is currently struggling for form but did manage to defeat Vicenza in the previous round. Nevertheless, Parma is anticipated to possess sufficient quality to prevent any surprises and secure their advancement to the next round.