Parma and Roma are set to meet in Serie A this evening, with Carlos Cuesta expected to keep Parma in a 3-5-2 and Gian Piero Gasperini likely to stay with Roma's 3-4-2-1. The matchup comes with both coaches leaning on the lineups they have used most often, even as the stakes on each side look very different.
For Parma, Suzuki is expected to start in goal behind a back line of Troilo, Circati and Ndiaye, with Delprato on the right and Valeri on the left. Nicolussi Caviglia is set to anchor midfield with Ordonez and Keita, while Strefezza and Pellegrino should lead the attack. Roma are expected to answer with Svilar in goal, Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso in defense, Celik on the right and Wesley on the left, and Koné and Cristante in central midfield. Pisilli is also expected to start, with Matias Soulé favored ahead of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen supported by Pisilli and Soulé.
Cuesta said on the eve of the match that Parma could become more attacking without Bernabè and that the club wants to finish as high as possible, adding that his own future is a matter for tomorrow. Gasperini, speaking before the game, said the margin for a Champions League place is minimal and that qualification would bring more money for the market.
That contrast frames the night. Parma have already secured safety and are no longer chasing major seasonal objectives, while Roma are still fighting Juventus, Como and Milan for a Champions League place and are chasing a third straight Serie A win. The style question sits at the center of it, too: Parma have been described as defensive under Cuesta, but this is a game where they may need more than restraint to trouble a Roma side that arrives with more at stake.
The result will also say something about whether Roma can keep pushing in a crowded race without slipping against a team that has already cleared its own crisis. For Parma, the match is another test of whether a cautious approach can still produce something against stronger opposition. Roma, by contrast, need the points to keep their Champions League path open, and this is the kind of fixture they cannot afford to leave without a response.
