Parma vs Cagliari Preview
Despite Parma's fine form going into Sunday's clash with Cagliari, coach Pasquale Marino believes the hard work is only just beginning.
The Ducale club got off to a great start to 2011 by beating Juventus 4-1 in Turin on Thursday.
The outcome was Parma's second win on the road this season and moved the Gialloblu to 11th in the standings - seven points clear of the drop zone.
"My players did what we set out to do from the start," Marino said. "I did not expect to win by such a margin but I am delighted."
Marino has urged his players to keep their feet firmly on the ground and not get carried away by the result in Turin.
"We must stay focused," Marino said. "We have a lot of work to do to defend our Serie A status.
"We are on the right path but there are many battles left to play and we must be humble."
One player that has stood out for Parma this season is Hernan Crespo.
The Argentinian is the team's leading scorer with seven goals so far.
"This is a great victory for us," said Crespo of the Juve victory. "We were fed up with playing good games against top teams and not being rewarded for our efforts.
"Against Juve, we deserved the win."
Cagliari coach Roberto Donadoni is optimistic his side can take a positive result at Parma tomorrow provided his side shows the same battling spirit they displayed in their 1-0 loss to AC Milan.
Rodney Strasser's 85th minute goal was the difference between the two sides on Thursday.
The result dropped Cagliari to 14th in the standings, two points behind Parma.