Parma vs Fiorentina

Newly-promoted Parma and Fiorentina are set to lock horns at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in their opening 2024/25 Serie A encounter.

It’s been over three years since Ennio Tardini last hosted a Serie A match, but the new dawn is on the horizon following Parma’s top-table finish in Serie B in 2023/24. Coach Fabio Pecchia hopes to inspire the Crusaders to a better run than in their last top-flight campaign in 2020/21, when Parma suffered relegation as the worst team in Serie A, having only managed three victories. However, the hosts experienced a false start to the 2024/25 season, crashing out of the Coppa Italia in midweek as second-tier Palermo bettered them 1-0. It was only their second home defeat in 20 competitive outings at Tardini since the beginning of last season (W11, D7). That offers some encouragement to Parma as they seek their first win against Fiorentina in competitive action since May 2019 (D3, L2).

Meanwhile, visiting Fiorentina snatched away an unenviable Europa Conference League finish last term, courtesy of an eighth-place finish in Serie A. After back-to-back defeats in the Conference League finals, long-serving manager Vincenzo Italiano left Tuscany to take charge of Bologna, with ex-Monza boss Raffaele Palladino taking his place at Artemio Franchi. It’s been a busy summer for ‘La Viola.’ In addition to former Manchester United star goalkeeper David de Gea, Moise Kean and Andrea Colpani have linked up with Palladino’s squad. The new arrivals should bolster Fiorentina’s bid to secure a first top-six finish since 2015/16, though Nicolas Gonzalez’s imminent departure could throw a spanner in the works. Fiorentina must improve their away form to back those lofty ambitions after struggling for consistency on their Serie A travels last term (W7, D4, L8).