Cagliari secured a 1-0 victory over Parma at the Ennio Tardini on 22 August 2026, a result that stretches the hosts' winless run in Serie A's opening round. The match ended with a single goal in the second half, and Cagliari moved to 12th place with three points while Parma remained bottom on zero.
Cagliari took the lead in the 79th minute through A. Romano, who finished off a rare moment of clarity for the visitors. Parma had created two big chances but could only manage two shots on target all game, while Cagliari hit the woodwork just once before finding the net. To be fair, the hosts pressed high up the pitch but couldn't convert their possession into something meaningful.
The yellow cards in the first half set an uneasy tone. Zé Pedro went off early at the 10th minute, and Jacopo Fazzini received two bookings in quick succession before the break. By then, Parma had already made their first changes at the 66th minute, bringing on A. Bernabe, J. Pedro, and P. Mendy in a single sweep. The substitutions continued through the final quarter, with six more changes spread across the last 20 minutes.
Statistically, the match told a familiar story: Parma dominated possession at 47 per cent but struggled to find a rhythm, while Cagliari's 53 per cent came with greater intent. The hosts completed 443 passes against 497 for the visitors, but shots accuracy told a different tale—15 per cent for Parma compared to 36 per cent for Cagliari. Expected goals hovered around one for each side, yet only one team found the back of the net.
Parma sit 17th after two defeats, a run that includes a 2-0 win over Catania in pre-season but nothing competitive yet. Cagliari have won one and lost one in the opening two rounds, sitting comfortably enough in mid-table. The gap between them is three points, though the season has barely begun.