Mythical battle in a brand new edition: Coppa Italia gathers Parma and Inter

Buffon, Canavaro, Thuram, Veron, Chiessa, Crespo on one side. Pagliuca, Seedorf, Djorkaef, Pirlo, Ronaldo on the other.

Yes, that unofficial Hall of Fame was a usual part of Inter's and Parma's squads some decades ago, when those two then-giants of the Serie A used to face off in the Italian top division.

However, in 2022 it's just the battle of two totally opposite rivals - one significantly inferior to the other.

After the bankruptcy in 2015, Parma went straight to Serie D (fourth tier), but was back in the elite after a record three straight promotions before succumbing to Serie B again.

Superman returns home: Buffon officially in Parma

Now, this second-tier slot faces favourites Nerazzurri in the Coppa Italia Round of 16.

After a disappointing Serie A 2-2 draw with Monza, Simone Inzaghi is eager not to allow another upset.

As such, retaining the Coppa Italia is likely to be Nerazzurri's best chance of winning a trophy this season, although they remain in the hunt for a fourth European Cup title after being drawn against Porto in the first knockout round.

After defeating Napoli, Inter spills points at Monza

The winner of Tuesday's tie will face either Atalanta or Spezia in the quarter-final, so Inzaghi will be keen to see his side reach the final four of Italy's domestic cup competition at the very least.