Parma vs. Cagliari for survival again
Parma and Cagliari meet at the Tardini on Serie A matchday 1. The home side will be looking to reverse a difficult opening-day trend, having failed to score in six of their last eight Serie A season openers and going without a win in that spell (three draws, five defeats). Cagliari, meanwhile, have drawn each of their last four opening fixtures in Serie A and will be aiming to turn those stalemates into all three points.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
There have been 41 meetings between the two sides in Emilia: 20 Parma wins (the latest a 2-1 victory in Serie B 2022/23), 14 draws (the latest a 1-1 draw in Serie A 2025/26) and 7 Cagliari wins (the latest a 2-3 victory in Serie A 2024/25).
DID YOU KNOW?
Parma have reached the Coppa Italia Round of 32: in their first official match of the season, they eliminated Catania 2-0 at the Tardini, with a Lontani brace.
Parma are winless in their last 8 Serie A openers: their last Matchday 1 win came on 29 August 2010 (Parma-Brescia 2-0). Since then, 2 draws and 6 defeats.
Cagliari have reached the Coppa Italia Round of 32: in their first official match of the season, they eliminated Arezzo 1-0 at the Unipol Domus, with Deiola scoring from the penalty spot.
Cagliari are winless in their last 10 Serie A openers: their last win came on 25 August 2013 (Cagliari-Atalanta 2-1, played at a neutral venue in Trieste). Since then, 6 draws (including the last 5 seasons) and 4 defeats.
COACHES and PLAYERS
Carlos Cuesta and Fabio Pisacane will meet for the third time in an official match: in the previous 2 meetings, both in Serie A 2025/26, Pisacane recorded 1 win and 1 draw.
A meeting between the youngest and fourth-youngest coaches in Serie A 2025/26: Cuesta was born in 1995 and Pisacane in 1986, in January. Between them are Ignazio Abate, also born in 1986 but in November, and Cesc Fabregas, born in 1987.
Carlos Cuesta is one of 6 foreign coaches starting the 2026/27 Serie A season: alongside Amorim (Milan), Juric (Monza), Chivu (Inter), Fabregas (Como) and Runjaic (Udinese).
Carlos Cuesta finished his first Serie A campaign with 11 wins: none came by more than a one-goal margin. 7 wins ended 1-0 and 4 ended 2-1, with more victories away from home than at home: 6 compared to 5.
Fabio Pisacane is one of 6 coaches to manage a club they previously played for, alongside Aquilani (Sassuolo), Chivu (Inter), Fabregas (Como), Allegri (Napoli) and Abate (Torino).
Elia Caprile and Michael Adopo were among the 8 players to feature in every Serie A match in 2025/26: 38 appearances out of 38, alongside Svilar, Colombo, Butez, Douvikas, Falcone and Laurientè.
Only Federico Dimarco (101) and Aarón Martín (70) completed more crosses than Emanuele Valeri (69) in Serie A 2025/26.
DISCIPLINE
Suspended: Britschgi (Parma)
Cautioned: none
REFEREE
PERENZONI (MASTRODONATO – POLITI) IV: DOVERI VAR: DIONISI AVAR: PEZZUTO
UPCOMING MATCHES
Juventus-Parma (29/8, 20.45)
Cagliari-Inter (30/8, 20.45)
(Photo Getty Images)