Parma vs Napoli preview - Winger relishing another big clash

Posted Sunday, January 27, 2013 by PA

Marco Marchionni believes the bigger teams in Serie A bring the best performances out of Parma, with Napoli providing nothing to fear at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.

Parma are unbeaten on home turf since March 2012 and have denied AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and Roma victory this season.

Napoli, though, boast the league's top scorer in Edinson Cavani and are stealing a march on league leaders Juventus thanks to a run of three wins from their last four games.

But former Fiorentina winger Marchionni feels Parma, who are unbeaten in five, will match the southern outfit every step of the way.

He told fcparma.com: "It's the right match for us at this moment in time.

"When we go up against the bigger teams we always give a little bit more, and so maybe this is what we need right now.

"We are the only team that has yet to lose at home this season and we want that to continue.

"For some years Napoli have proved to be a great team with a lot of great players, but when Parma play at their best they are difficult to beat, so it's up to us.

"I wasn't here when we played the reverse fixture but maybe we were a bit naive in letting them come at us on the counter-attack.

"We weren't scared of Juventus so we won't be scared of Napoli."

Napoli defender Paolo Cannavaro makes an emotional return to the Tardini as he prepares to start a game for the first time since a six-month ban was overturned on appeal.

Cannavaro was suspended from football for allegedly failing to report attempted match-fixing, but he has now been cleared to feature against the club he left seven years ago.

"I left a lot of friends there and I have great memories of my time in Gialloblu (yellow and blue)," he said. "But it won't be easy for us.

"(Head coach Roberto) Donadoni has done some great work there and he has given the team such a strong identity that they've yet to lose at the Tardini.

"I really can't wait to play again. I've been training more than ever and I'm ready."

Midfielders Daniele Galloppa and Jonathan Biabiany are injury doubts for Parma, with winger Valon Behrami serving a one-match ban for the visitors.

Parma have not beaten Napoli on home turf since March 2001 while Walter Mazzarri's men won this season's reverse fixture 3-1 at the Stadio San Paolo.