Parma travel tomorrow to face fellow European contenders Genoa, who lie just one point behind them.
Parma only won promotion back to the top flight last term but, following a pre-season campaign to forget, find themselves now in a Europa League qualifying spot and level on points with fourth-placed Sampdoria.
Parma’s strength this season has come at home, where they have won five of their seven games and conceded just four goals. Away from the Ennio Tardini, the Gialloblu have been a little frailer, but while they were beaten by both Milanese sides, they picked up an impressive victory against Fiorentina a fortnight ago.
Guidolin’s side have also picked up seven points from their last three matches, fighting back to secure a point against Napoli last Sunday. The positive start to the season has propelled them to fifth place in the league, just a point away from a Champions League spot.
It looked as if Genoa were collapsing in mid-September to late October, but, by and large, they have steadied the ship in the last few weeks. A defeat to Livorno was followed up by an emphatic victory in the derby della Lanterna, and coach Gian Piero Gasperini conceded that he thought some of his players were holding back in the former match so that they could play against Sampdoria.
Parma will be without Stefano Russo, Andrea Pisanu, Alessio Manzoni and McDonald Mariga through injury, while Valeri Bojinov is a doubt.
Genoa will be missing suspended defenders Giuseppe Biava and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
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