Expect Parma to line up in their new 4-3-3, with Elphege leading the line and Almqvist and Lontani providing width and pace on the flanks. The midfield trio will be key — they need to dominate the centre of the park, win the second balls, and feed those wide runners. Cuesta wants his full-backs high, creating overloads out wide. The Tardini will be a cauldron, and Parma will look to suffocate Cagliari from the first whistle.

Cagliari, under Pisacane, are expected to stick with a 4-3-3 of their own, but it will be a far more conservative version. They will likely drop into a mid-block, with the front three tasked with pressing selectively. The midfield will be compact, looking to frustrate Parma and hit on the counter. Caprile will be busy — he is a solid shot-stopper, but he will face a barrage of crosses and cut-backs. The battle will be won in the wide areas: if Parma's wingers can isolate the Cagliari full-backs, they will create chances.

The key duel is in midfield. Parma's trio, with their energy and positional discipline, should overrun a Cagliari unit that tends to sit deep. If Parma can move the ball quickly through the lines, they will knife through. Cagliari will rely on set-pieces and moments of individual quality, but they will struggle to sustain pressure. This is a game where the home side's attacking intent should tell.