Parma come into this Serie A opener with a spring in their step after a clean 2-0 Coppa Italia win over Catania at the Tardini. That result will have settled any nerves, and under Carlos Cuesta they look organised, compact, and dangerous on the break. The Crociati spent pre-season in Trentino, sharpening their shape, and that early competitive fixture means they are match-fit while some rivals are still finding their legs. Cuesta has a defensive record to fix — 46 goals conceded last term — but the Catania shutout suggests he has been drilling that back line hard.

Cagliari also won in the cup, edging Arezzo 1-0 at the Unipol Domus, but it was a grind against third-tier opposition. They were missing Raphael Kofler and Riyad Idrissi through injury, and that lack of cutting edge is a worry. The Sardinians are a tough, organised side under their usual 4-2-3-1, but they rarely blow teams away. On the road, they tend to sit in, soak up pressure, and nick something on the counter. That approach could work here, but it also invites Parma onto them.

Momentum favours the hosts. Parma have the sharper attacking unit, the home crowd at the Tardini, and the confidence of a more convincing pre-season. Cagliari will be stubborn, but they look a little short of ideas in the final third. This is a classic season-opener where the team with more ambition and better preparation tends to edge it.