Parma roll into this Serie A opener with a spring in their step after that tidy 2-0 Coppa Italia win over Catania at the Tardini. Teenage forward Simone Lontani announced himself with a brace on debut — that's the kind of spark that gets a home crowd buzzing. The Ducali look sharp, organised, and hungry to make a statement on the opening weekend. They've had a proper pre-season camp in Trentino, and the early signs are that this squad has real cohesion. At home, in front of their own fans, Parma will feel this is their moment to set the tone for the campaign.

Cagliari, meanwhile, are no pushovers. They edged past Serie B side Arezzo 1-0 in the Coppa Italia, with captain Alessandro Deiola coolly slotting a re-taken penalty. That's character. And their pre-season has been quietly impressive — four friendlies unbeaten, three clean sheets in their last four. But there's a catch: they've lost Gianluca Gaetano to Atalanta, a real creative hub in midfield. The new arrivals — Harry Winks, Sebastiano Esposito, Daniel Maldini, Jacopo Fazzini, Giuseppe Aurelio — bring talent, but integrating that many new faces takes time. On the road, against a confident Parma side, that could show.