High-flying Parma ended the three-match winning run as they were beaten by Pescara, but il Ducali will be happy to return to their Ennio Tardini, where they are unbeaten this season. Siena, on the other hand, recorded their first win after five games, but they will need to produce something special in order to beat Parma and thus escape the bottom of the standings.

Parma continue to impress

Mostly thanks to some shrewd transfer dealings Parma have succeeded in establishing themselves as genuine mid table side over the last two years, with some impressive showings seeing them finish previous league campaign just five points behind European places. In order to make sure this uptrend in fortunes continues, club chiefs not only kept the entire squad together in the summer, but also made some quality signings, with the likes of Ninis, Pabon, Belfodil, Amauri, Rosi and Marchionni all arriving at Ennio Tardini. As a result, Parma enjoyed a bright start to the season, taking 15 points from first 11 games, with their home showings especially impressive. While sharing spoils with top 3 contenders Fiorentina and Milan, il Ducali defeated Chievo, Sampdoria and Roma at their Tardini, so they have every reason to hope for another win as they prepare to host rock bottom Siena.

Amauri and Ishak Belfodil return from injury and suspension respectively, but Jaime Valdes is doubtful. Daniele Galloppa and Fabiano Santacrocce remain sidelined.

Siena remain at rock bottom

While Siena did well to survive last league campaign, the club received a major setback at the start of the new season as they were slapped with a six-point penalty because of their involvement in the match fixing scandal. That made Robur one of the main candidates for the drop, but the team did surprisingly well to pick up eight points from first five games and move into the green. However, they have since suffered a major dip in form, picking up just one point from next five league games, before recording a lucky win over Genoa at their Artemio Franchi. Siena, nevertheless, remained at rock bottom, three points adrift of safety, meaning they are still under pressure not to let their relegation rivals get away so early into the season. Having lost last three away games and set to face one of the strongest hosts in Italy’s top flight, Robur look destined for yet another defeat on the road.

Gaetano D’Agostino returns to the side, but Alessandro Rosina, Ze Eduardo, Ribair Rodriguez and Matias Martinez are all out injured.

Verdict

Being high on confidence and in a very good form, Parma can be trusted to continue the impressive run at their Ennio Tardini, especially as they will face one of the weakest sides in the elite division and the one that rarely bring points from the travels. Comfortable home win is also an option, while everything points to a high-scoring game.

Top pick: Home win   1.80 (4/5) @ Stan James

Alternative pick 1: Parma with -1 handicap   3.30 (23/10) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 2: Over 2.5 goals   2.10 (11/10) @ SkyBet