There were just two positions and four points separating the two sides in the final count last term, which is enough to suggest we should see a close encounter at Ennio Tardini. Both sides enjoyed a bright start to their Coppa Italia campaigns, meaning they go into this game high on confidence.

Will Belfodil-Cassano swap pay off?

Once considered one of Italy’s top sides, Parma have been struggling to return to old glory days, but there have been plenty of positive signs of late. The club officials have ensured their squad get stronger every season and if they continue like this, it won’t be long before il Ducali join the chase for European places. Parma have now managed to finish in top 10 two years in a row, and they will certainly be hoping to make that extra step this term and maybe even mount a top 6 challenge. And it looks as though il Ducali have once again done some excellent piece of business in the summer transfer window, seeing as how Ishak Belfodil was the only notable player to leave, while they signed Antonio Cassano, Gianni Munari, Mikael Ishak and Afriyie Acquah. Despite intense speculation, Jonathan Biabiany, Gabriel Paletta and Yohan Benalouane all remained, with Parma looking very good at the start of the season. Roberto Donadoni’s men recorded a 4-0 victory over Lecce in Coppa Italia, and while everybody was happy to see both Amauri and Cassano score, goals from the bench provided by Raffaele Palladino and Gianni Munari could prove to be just what the team have been missing over the last couple of years.

There are no fresh injury worries for Donadoni, but Danielle Galloppa and Nicola Sansone remain sidelined through injury.

Another battle for survival

Anyone who’s ever watched Italian Serie A knows all too well that Chievo are considered one of the main candidates for the drop every single season, only to survive without too many problems. Many people are wondering how much longer can the Flying Donkeys keep producing great escapes, but unless the club chiefs pay more attention to reinforcing the squad, the team could soon be playing Serie B football. While they were not too impressive in Verona, Chievo managed to record no less than six victories on the travels, having caught quite a few teams off guard and scoring a number of goals against the run of play. The Flying Donkeys will be hoping to do something similar when they take on Parma on Sunday, but I am not sure they have what it takes to surprise in-form il Ducali. Chievo have stayed without quite a few important players this summer, namely Andreolli, Acerbi, Cofie and Jokic, while the majority of new signings have yet to prove they have what it takes to play at this level. Giuseppe Sannino’s men defeated Empoli in Coppa Italia last weekend, but everything suggests their Serie A campaign will be off to a slow start.

Boukari Drame is doubtful with a muscle problem, while youngster Riccardo Improta misses out through suspension.

Verdict

Parma seem to have hit the ground running early on, and buoyed by the quality summer signings il Ducali look a good bet to kick off the campaign with a win. Chievo, on the other hand, look even weaker than last term and I don’t think they can fare any better than the 2-0 defeat at Ennio Tardini in the first away game last season.

Top pick: Home win   1.91 (10/11) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 1: Under 2.5 goals   1.73 (8/11) @ Stan James

Alternative pick 2: Parma to win to nil   3.00 (2/1) @ Ladbrokes

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