Parma vs Cremonese – News and Probable Lineups

With a six-place gap separating them in the Serie A standings, the relegation-threatened Cremonese will head to Stadio Ennio Tardini to face Parma this Saturday, as they look to escape the bottom three following Round 30.

Marco Giampaolo is set to take charge for his first match back with La Cremo, having previously managed the team in Serie C back in 2015, and a victory could see them climb out of the relegation zone.

Match overview

Davide Nicola has a reputation for performing rescue missions in Serie A, but he has struggled to have an effect right from the start this time around.

As the Grigiorossi sit in the relegation zone and are struggling on the form table, the management in Lombardy opted to appoint Giampaolo for another stint at the club.

The Violini’s alarming form is highlighted by their four losses in the last five fixtures, with only a single draw to show for their efforts, having scored just twice while conceding a staggering 11 goals.

These statistics reflect the worst performance at both ends of the pitch, and La Cremona’s -9 goal difference underscores their difficulties as they make the trip to Tardini, aware they could either fall further behind the 17th position or pull themselves out of peril.

If they manage to secure maximum points for the first time since December, coupled with a defeat for Lecce against Champions League-challenging Roma, the Violins could emerge from the bottom three by the weekend.

Depending on the performance level of Parma on Saturday, they could either extend their lead over the relegation zone or find themselves anxiously looking over their shoulders.

Carlos Cuesta’s team faced a 4-1 defeat against Torino in their last outing, which halted a five-match unbeaten streak during which they achieved three league victories.

Allowing four goals in Turin followed a run of three consecutive clean sheets in Serie A, and the Crusaders will be eager to demonstrate that last Saturday’s result was merely an outlier for the squad currently sitting in 12th place.

That assurance, however, is not a certainty, especially given Parma’s lackluster home performance this season: they have netted 11 times at Tardini while letting in 19 goals.

With 14 points amassed from 14 home matches and 20 accumulated on the road from Emilia-Romagna, the home supporters may be bracing for yet another disappointing result against a struggling opponent.

Team News

Parma will be missing the suspended Enrico Delprato, while Adrian Bernabe (muscle), Matija Frigan (knee), Pontus Almqvist (thigh) and Benjamin Cremaschi are also unavailable due to injuries.

With Bernabe likely absent, Mateo Pellegrino is expected to be the sole player in the Emilian side who has scored multiple goals this season, and the forward with eight goals will aim to make a decisive impact.

It is worth noting that only three of his eight goals have come at Tardini, where he has not found the net since the 2-1 victory over Hellas Verona in mid-February, but he will be determined to get back on the scoresheet at home this weekend.

Warren Bondo is suspended for the visiting side, while Jamie Vardy (thigh) and Federico Baschirotto (muscle) could potentially be sidelined due to injuries.

With Vardy expected to be out, Federico Bonazzoli, who has scored six goals, is likely to carry the scoring responsibility for the Violini as he aims to net in consecutive away matches after finding the back of the net against Lecce.

Parma probable starting XI:

Suzuki; Circati, Troilo, Valenti; Britschgi, Sorensen, Keita, Ordonez, Valeri; Pellegrino, Strefezza

Cremonese probable starting XI:

Audero; Terracciano, Ceccherini, Luperto; Barbieri, Thorsby, Vandeputte, Maleh, Pezzella; Djuric, Bonazzoli

Parma should be viewed as the favorites going into this fixture, especially considering their form prior to the loss that snapped a five-match unbeaten streak in Turin last weekend.

However, with Cremonese benefiting from a new manager in Giampaolo, the match could very well end in a stalemate in Emilia-Romagna on Saturday.