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.
REVIEW:
High-flying Genoa and Parma shared four goals at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris today to keep up their respective searches for a place in Europe next season.
Rodrigo Palacio gave Genoa the lead in the 14th minute, but after the home side had wasted numerous chances, Jonathan Biabiany equalised 10 minutes before the break.
Biabiany put Parma ahead in the 59th minute, but Raffaelle Palladino levelled for the home side eight minutes later to earn them a point.
On seven minutes, Parma won a free kick, with the ensuing shot taken by Blerim Dzemaili, who sent the ball just over the crossbar.
Salvatore Bocchetti received a yellow card for bringing down the forward.
Four minutes later, it was the Grifoni’s turn to have a shot on goal, with a deflected free kick sent in for a corner. The ball was then cleared by the Parma defense, but another dangerous cross came in, but Sculli was unable to control the ball, and it rolled out for a goal kick.
The home side broke the deadlock after 14 minutes, with Domenico Criscito clearing long ball happen to find Rodrigo Palacio and Lucarelli one-on-one. The bounce favored the former, and he clinically disposed of the ball in the back of the net, sending Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante the wrong way, to make it 1-0.
On 23 minutes, a goal was disallowed after Raffaele Palladino had strayed into an offside position. From a Parma free kick, a counter-attacked perused. Long balls cut through the Ducali defense, with a cross from Giuseppe Sculli being finished off by the former Juventus player.
Nine minutes later, Daniele Galloppa received a yellow card for protesting. He alleged to not have been last man to touch ball out for throw-in, but also wanted free kick after a tackle with Palacio.
Omar Milanetto provided Palladino with another chance in the 28th minute, but Antonio Mirante was equal to the effort and another chance went begging for Genoa in the 35th minute when Milanetto sent Palladino through once again.
This time, Palladino had support in the form of Palacio, but rather than find his team-mate in acres of space to his right, the Italy striker selfishly tried to beat Mirante, who made another save to deny him.
And Genoa were made to pay for their profligacy as Parma broke to level less than 60 seconds later.
Daniele Galloppa sent the ball through to Biabiany, one of the quickest players in Serie A, and a burst of pace allowed him to race away from the last Genoa defender before slotting the ball past Scarpi.
Parma took heart from the goal and they could have gone ahead with just 20 seconds on the clock in the second half when Luca Antonelli found himself alone in front of Scarpi, but rather than shoot, the full-back lifted the ball back into the centre where there was no team mate in support.
Six minutes later, the ball went down the other end of the park, with Biabany once again putting himself on the scoresheet, after Gialloblu forward Davide Lanzafame lobbed a ball into the Frenchman’s path, and Biabany puts his side ahead. The Frenchman was then substituted on the hour mark, after picking up an injury whilst scoring. Replacing him was Nicola Amoruso.
Antonelli picked up a yellow card a minute later after fouling Milanetto, with a late tackle.
After 66 minutes, a delightful one-two by Yuric and Marco Rossi on the edge of the area saw Palladino be teed up for his team’s second goal. His left-foot strike gave Mirante no hope, and scores were level.
And it was almost 3-2 when Sculli and Milanetto three minutes later teamed up to put the ball past the Parma custodian, but the latter was ruled to be in an offside position when the final possession was taken.
On 73 minutes, a dangerous cross from the left by Sculli, saw a lay-off by Palladino back to Sculli, who shot well above the cross bar, not putting an end to a well-thought attack.
Six minutes later, Genoa's Giandomenico Mesto is substituted off, with Nenad Tomovic replacing him whilst Parma's Galloppa also makes way for Francesco Lunardini on 82 minutes.
Defender Cristian Zaccardo had the chance to win the game for the Crociati on 87 minutes when a Paolo Castellini left-foot cross was met by the former Palermo and Wolfsburg player, but his header went wide.
An alleged handball by Alessandro Lucarelli on 88 minutes in the Genoa penalty box was not seen by the referee, despite protests by Hernán Crespo – who was brought on three minutes earlier, replacing Sculli - and the Genoa fans.
Not even five minutes of stoppage time was enough to separate the two sides, who could not capitalize on overtaking Sampdoria on the table.
Genoa are still one point behind Parma.