Parma vs Chievo preview - Parma prepared for Chievo

Posted Sunday, September 02, 2012 by PA

For the second successive season Parma will play the first home match of their Serie A campaign against Chievo on Sunday, and the Ducale club's midfielder Daniele Galloppa says the memories of the encounter a year ago means there is no danger of the hosts taking their opponents lightly.

Galloppa and his team-mates only emerged with a 2-1 victory over the men from Verona at the Ennio Tardini stadium in September 2011 due to a 90th-minute winner, and he is sure nobody in the Parma side will underestimate Sunday's task.

"We haven't forgotten that we also had Chievo for our first home game last year and only won in the last moments," Galloppa told fcparma.com.

"We know that it will be a hard game this time as well.

"Against such a team you have to fight for every ball and have patience. Keeping calm is a way to win in those games, knowing that the game can be decided in any second."

In another repeat from 2011-12, Parma began their season last Saturday with a defeat at Juventus.

Going down only 2-0 this time marked an improvement from last year's 4-1 hammering, but Galloppa - who is now back available for selection after missing last weekend's contest through suspension - feels the Gialloblu could have done better.

"My season will begin against Chievo, but ours began on Saturday," Galloppa said.

"We knew that against Juventus it would be hard, but the result still means we didn't take any points.

"If we are content simply not to have gone down in a terrible way like last year against Juventus, then we have already lost at the beginning.

"It wasn't the Juve of last year, especially in the first half, and there we should have taken more. In the second half however they upped their game."

Chievo got their Serie A season under way with a 2-0 home victory over Bologna on Saturday.

Flying Donkeys defender Bostjan Cesar admits it is an encouraging start but has stressed the team need to be wary of a Parma outfit who will be looking to bounce back from the Juventus loss.

"We have started off on the right foot," Cesar told www.chievoverona.it.

"Beginning the new season with a victory gives us enthusiasm.

"But now have a tough challenge against Parma, who will have a great desire for redemption."