An 18-Year-Old Steals the Show
Parma didn’t need long to sort this one out. Eighteen-year-old Simone Lontani, a Milan academy graduate now with the Ducali, scored twice in the first half at the Tardini, and Carlos Cuesta’s side never really looked in any danger from there in this Coppa Italia last-32 tie.
It came at an awkward moment off the pitch for Parma, who’d just sold goalkeeper Suzuki to PSG and were in the process of losing striker Mateo Pellegrino to Fiorentina — the deal actually going through in the hours around kickoff. None of that seemed to affect the performance, though. Cuesta’s side dominated from the first whistle, and Lontani made the most of his chances, poaching both goals from close range with the kind of instinctive finishing that suggested there’s a real talent developing there.
A Backs-to-the-Wall Effort From Catania
Catania arrived at the Tardini already carrying a rough week off the pitch, with a financial guarantee issue threatening to stop them fielding several new signings — a problem eventually resolved, but only after the deadline had technically passed, meaning disciplinary consequences and a points penalty are now expected to follow. On the pitch, they’d needed penalties just to get past fourth-tier Vicenza in the previous round, and taking on a Serie A side two divisions above them was always going to be a stretch.
To their credit, Catania mounted a spirited defensive effort for large parts of the second half. Parma dominated territory and possession throughout, but goalkeeper Rinaldi — on loan from Parma themselves, ironically — produced a string of good saves to keep the scoreline respectable and deny what might otherwise have been a much heavier defeat.
What It Means Next
Parma move into the next round, where they’ll face the winner of Cremonese and Sampdoria, with a potential clash against Como waiting in the round of 16 for whoever advances. For Catania, the priorities lie elsewhere anyway — head coach Emilio Longo used the tie mainly to get more minutes into his squad’s legs and to field the new arrivals he’d fought to register in time, ahead of what the club hopes will be a serious push for Serie B this season, complications off the pitch permitting.
Match Summary
Parma 2-0 Catania Coppa Italia, Round of 32 — Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy Friday, 14 August 2026 Referee: Crezzini
Goals: First half: Simone Lontani (Parma) 1-0 First half: Simone Lontani (Parma) 2-0
Result: Parma advance to the next round of the Coppa Italia, where they’ll face the winner of Cremonese vs Sampdoria.
For live Coppa Italia scores and match coverage, visit fawanews. Full results and bracket at the official Coppa Italia website.
