The 2019-20 Serie A campaign will resume this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the first match on the opening night of action sees Torino take on Parma in Turin.
Torino are currently sit 15th in the table, just two points above the relegation zone, while Parma occupy ninth, four points off the top six ahead of the return of Italy's top flight.
Match preview
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Torino have not been in action since losing 2-1 at Napoli on February 29, which was actually their seventh straight defeat in all competitions.
The Turin-based outfit have lost their last six in the league, meanwhile, and are without a victory in Italy's top flight since the start of January, which is an indication of their struggles.
Torino have not played outside of Serie A since the 2011-12 campaign, but they are facing a battle to retain their status at this level for the 2020-21 season.
Indeed, a total of 27 points from 25 matches has left them in 15th spot in the table, just two points clear of the relegation zone, which is currently occupied by Lecce, SPAL and Brescia.
What's more, only four teams have picked up fewer home Serie A points than Il Toro this season, which will surely be a concern for their supporters heading into Saturday's key clash in Turin.
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Parma, meanwhile, are currently ninth in Italy's top flight, just four points off sixth-placed Napoli ahead of the return of the campaign, which has been on hold for more than three months due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Crusaders suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to SPAL in their last match on March 8, and they have actually only won one of their last four in the league despite their relatively strong spot in the table.
There is no question that Roberto D'Aversa's side will be targeting all three points on Saturday, and their away form has been fairly strong this season, losing just a third of their 12 matches on their travels.
Parma finished 14th in Serie A last season as they returned to the top flight after a three-year absence; the Yellow and Blues ended the 2013-14 Serie A campaign in sixth, though, and are therefore used to competing at the top end of the table.
Torino Serie A form: LLLLLL
Parma Serie A form: LWDLWL
Team News
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Torino will be without the services of Simone Verdi and Daniele Baselli through injury, but the Turin-based outfit otherwise have a fully-fit squad heading into this weekend's contest.
Baselli's absence could open the door for Soualiho Meite to start in the middle of the park, but there are unlikely to be any surprises in the final third of the field.
Indeed, Andrea Belotti is the team's leading goalscorer in the league this season with nine, and he is again expected to joined by Simone Zaza as part of a front two.
Parma, meanwhile, are also in good shape in terms of injuries ahead of Saturday's clash.
D'Aversa is likely to have been disappointed with his team's performance against SPAL last time out, but it would not be a surprise to see the same group of players take to the field.
Indeed, Gervinho and Andreas Cornelius should start in the final third, while Dejan Kulusevski, who officially joined Juventus in January, is also expected to keep his spot.
Torino possible starting lineup:
Sirigu; Izzo, N'Koulou, Bremer; De Silvestri, Lukic, Rincon, Meite, Ansaldi; Belotti, Zaza
Parma possible starting lineup:
Colombi; Darmian, Iacoponi, Alves, Gagliolo; Kuric, Brugman, Grassi; Gervinho, Cornelius, Kulusevski
We say: Torino 0-1 Parma
It is difficult to know how both sides are going to react to the unique circumstances surrounding the contest, but we are finding it difficult to look past Parma. The break could actually have helped Torino, who were in rotten form before the action was called to a halt. Parma are pushing for the top six, though, and we expect them to put an important three points on the board here.
Matt Law
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Torino win with a probability of 46.73%. A win for Parma had a probability of 28.21% and a draw had a probability of 25.1%.
The most likely scoreline for a Torino win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.24%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.32%) and 2-0 (8.03%). The likeliest Parma win was 0-1 (7.59%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.89%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with an 11.9% likelihood.
