Preview: Parma vs. Cremonese - prediction, team news, lineups

Separated by six places in the Serie A table, relegation-threatened Cremonese head to Stadio Ennio Tardini to face Parma on Saturday, aiming to climb out of the bottom three after the 30th round.

Marco Giampaolo takes charge of his first game for La Cremo in his second spell, 11 years after last managing them in Serie C in 2015, and maximum points could lift them out of the drop zone.

Match preview

Davide Nicola is known for his rescue acts in Serie A, but the firefighting specialist has been unable to make an impact from the start this time.

With the Grigiorossi in the bottom three and propping up the form table, the hierarchy in Lombardy decided to make a change in the dugout, appointing Giampaolo for his second spell at the club.

Highlighting the Violini’s dreadful run of results is none other than their four defeats in the last five matches, drawing the other, scoring just two and conceding a staggering 11.

Both figures are the worst at either end of the pitch, and La Cremona’s -9 goal difference underlines their problems in both boxes as they head to the Tardini, fully aware they could either lose further ground on 17th place or haul themselves out of the danger zone.

Given their superior goal-difference record over Lecce, maximum points for the first time since December, combined with a Lecce defeat at Champions League-chasing Roma, could see the Violins end the weekend outside the bottom three.

Depending on which version of Parma turns up on Saturday, the hosts could either create further daylight between themselves and the relegation zone or find themselves glancing nervously over their shoulders.

Carlos Cuesta’s men suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Torino last time out, snapping a five-match unbeaten run in which they picked up three league victories.

Conceding four in Turin came on the back of three consecutive clean sheets in Serie A, and the Crusaders will be keen to prove that last weekend’s result was an anomaly for the side currently in 12th place.

That is far from guaranteed, however, given Parma’s underwhelming home record this season: they have scored 11 times at the Tardini in the top flight, while conceding 19.

With 14 points taken from 14 home games and 20 picked up away from Emilia-Romagna, the home faithful could be forgiven for fearing another disappointment against out-of-form visitors.

Parma Serie A form:

Cremonese Serie A form:

Team News

Parma are without the suspended Enrico Delprato, while Adrian Bernabe (muscle), Matija Frigan (knee), Pontus Almqvist (thigh) and Benjamin Cremaschi are sidelined.

With Bernabe likely to miss out, Mateo Pellegrino is expected to be the only player in the Emilian side’s ranks to have scored multiple goals this season, and the eight-goal forward will aim to be decisive.

Notably, only three of his eight goals have come at the Tardini, where he has not scored since mid-February’s 2-1 win over Hellas Verona, but he will be determined to get back among the goals on home turf this weekend.

Warren Bondo is suspended for the away side, while Jamie Vardy (thigh) and Federico Baschirotto (muscle) could miss out through injury.

With Vardy expected to be absent, six-goal Federico Bonazzoli should shoulder the goalscoring burden for the Violini as he looks to net in back-to-back away matches after scoring at Lecce.

Parma possible starting lineup:

Suzuki; Circati, Troilo, Valenti; Britschgi, Sorensen, Keita, Ordonez, Valeri; Pellegrino, Strefezza

Cremonese possible starting lineup:

Audero; Terracciano, Ceccherini, Luperto; Barbieri, Thorsby, Vandeputte, Maleh, Pezzella; Djuric, Bonazzoli