Serie A | Parma 1-0 Pisa: Elphege gets safety party started | OneFootball

Nesta Elphege came off the bench to get the Parma party started and consequently send sorry Pisa into Serie B, but they hit the woodwork twice.

The Ducali were ready to celebrate Serie A safety after a surprise victory away to Udinese put them 11 points clear of the drop zone, as Mateo Pellegrino returned from a head injury, with only Matija Frigan and Benja Cremaschi missing out. Pisa were heading to Serie B after four consecutive defeats, plus Matteo Tramoni, Rafiu Durosinmi, Marius Marin and Daniel Denoon didn’t make the trip, with Mehdi Leris shaking off an ankle sprain.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Zion Suzuki made a desperate reaction save in the sixth minute, flinging his face in the way of the Isak Vural volley from six yards.

Mandela Keita responded moments later by robbing Ebeneezer Akinsanmiro in midfield and forcing a low one-handed Adrian Semper save.

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia curled just wide, but Akinsanmiro ran onto the Vural lay-off and thumped the base of the near post from close range.

PARMA, ITALY – APRIL 25: Gabriel Strefezza of Parma Calcio cp Ebenezer Akinsanmiro of Pisa SC during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and Pisa SC at Stadio Ennio Tardini on April 25, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Emanuele Valeri rolled across the face of goal, but both Pellegrino and Enrico Delprato failed to make the most of it, then Pisa nearly scored on the counter from a Parma free kick, Filip Stojilkovic hitting the upright of an open goal after going one-on-one with Suzuki.

Vural went off with a knee injury, and Samuele Angori threw himself in the path of Nicolussi Caviglia on a Pellegrino lay-off.

PARMA, ITALY – APRIL 25: Mariano Troilo of Parma Calcio competes for the ball with Filip Stojilkovic of Pisa SC during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and Pisa SC at Stadio Ennio Tardini on April 25, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

The tempo dropped as the temperature went up in the afternoon sun, a weak Henrik Meister angled drive failing to trouble Suzuki, but Stefano Moreo skimmed the crossbar with a towering header on Angori’s cross.

Super-sub Nesta Elphege can’t seem to stop scoring at the moment and made an immediate impact off the bench for Parma. He gathered an Oliver Sorensen bouncing header with his back to goal from seven yards, turned and swept home.

Moments later, Elphege skilfully sent Emanuele Valeri down the left to force a tricky save from Semper, then Pellegrino’s header was straight at the goalkeeper.

If Lecce beat Verona this evening, then Pisa are mathematically relegated.

Parma 1-0 Pisa

Elphege 82 (Pa)