Gilardino’s first Tardini night comes against an improving Torino
Parma welcome Torino to the Stadio Ennio Tardini on Monday, 19 October 2026, at 20:45 in the last game of Serie A matchday seven. It is Alberto Gilardino’s first home game since he replaced Carlos Cuesta on 29 September, and his first match ended in a 3-0 defeat at Inter. Parma are 16th with four points. Ignazio Abate’s Torino are 13th on seven points after a draw at Bologna and a 2-1 home win over Udinese. Giovanni Ayroldi is the referee.
“There will certainly be emotion before kick-off.” – Parma manager Alberto Gilardino (translated)
Predicted lineups: Parma vs Torino
Gilardino has confirmed that David Romero leads the line, because Nesta Elphege is out after surgery for appendicitis. Pontus Almqvist and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia are also unavailable, while Adrián Bernabé and Abdoulaye Ndiaye are back. Local reports expect a 3-5-2, with El Bilal Touré or Simone Lontani partnering Romero. Torino are without Niccolò Fortini (groin) and Emirhan İlkhan (adductor). Abate is expected to stick with the back four and two strikers that beat Udinese, with Ché Adams fit to start alongside Giovanni Simeone.
Parma Team News & Preview
Gilardino’s debut at San Siro was over inside half an hour. Inter scored three times in the first 31 minutes, the first after a mix-up between Edoardo Corvi and Mandela Keita and the second from a penalty, and Parma did not manage a shot on target until the 55th minute. Gilardino spoke afterwards of individual and collective imperfections and has since asked his side to keep their confidence and enthusiasm, while demanding they make more of the situations they create.
That is the core problem. Parma have four goals in six league games, only one home win, and the lowest xG and shots-on-target figures in the division. Losing Elphege leaves Romero, with two league goals, as the main focal point. A new manager in front of his home crowd can lift a team, but so far there is little in the numbers to suggest Parma can create much against organised opposition.
What works for or against Parma
- Four goals in six league games and the lowest xG in Serie A.
- Nesta Elphege is out after an appendicitis operation.
- Gilardino's first home game in charge.
- Adrián Bernabé and Abdoulaye Ndiaye are back.
Torino Team News & Preview
Torino have taken four points from their last two games. The 2-1 win over Udinese was not straightforward: Daniel Bragança opened the scoring after Adams hit the post, Udinese equalised, and substitute Sandro Kulenović won it. Nikola Vlašić’s introduction from the bench changed the game, and Abate has hinted he could use the Croatian on the flank in a 4-4-2, as he plays for his country.
Abate has played down the occasion, calling it a very important rather than a crucial match. Away from home Torino have lost at Sassuolo, won at Fiorentina and drawn at Bologna, and their underlying numbers are clearly stronger than Parma’s: 1.28 xG per game against 0.65.
What works for or against Torino
- Unbeaten in their last two league games.
- Almost double Parma's xG per game.
- Only seven league goals of their own.
- Fortini and İlkhan are out.
Parma vs Torino Odds
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Parma vs. Torino Stats Comparison
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Parma vs. Torino Form Guide
Parma Form, Stats & Data
Parma’s goals tally is not a case of bad finishing: 0.65 xG and 2.7 shots on target per game are the weakest figures in the league, and their goals match that output almost exactly. They also have the lowest FotMob team rating in Serie A, with goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi their best-rated player. Gilardino has had three weeks to work with the squad, but the problems run deeper than one change of manager can fix immediately.
Torino Form, Stats & Data
Torino are no attacking juggernaut either, with 1.28 xG per game, but they create roughly twice as much as Parma and have more options up front now that Adams is fit and Kulenović is scoring off the bench. Defensively they allow 1.53 xG per game, which leaves room for Parma, yet Parma have rarely shown they can take advantage of that kind of opening.
Parma vs Torino: Prediction & Betting Tip
The numbers point clearly towards Torino. Parma have the weakest attack in Serie A, are without striker Nesta Elphege and conceded three in half an hour at Inter in Gilardino’s first game. Torino are in better form, have more ways to score and have already won away at Fiorentina. I want Torino on my side, but with a new manager at home and two low-scoring attacks a draw is a real possibility, so I prefer the Draw No Bet.
The one thing that gives me pause is the new-manager effect. Gilardino’s home debut, the backing of the Tardini and the return of Bernabé could produce Parma’s most committed display of the season, and Torino’s own attack has only seven goals. That is why the stake is kept to 3/10. My main bet is Torino Draw No Bet at 1.67 with Winz. My correct-score pick is 0-1.