Saturday’s Serie A action commences at the Stadio Ennio Tardini as newly-promoted Parma and last season’s runners-up Milan meet for the first time since April 2021. Both sides took a point each on the opening weekend, but it’s hard to believe it was the start the visitors hoped for.
Parma ended a three-year stint in Serie B with a statement campaign last term, securing a long-awaited top-flight return as the second-tier champions. However, Fabio Pecchia’s side got the 2024/25 season off to a disappointing start, slumping to a 1-0 Coppa Italia defeat to familiar foes Palermo.
Dennis Man’s early deadlock-breaker in an opening-day encounter against Fiorentina was supposed to set Parma up for success. Yet, the Crusaders had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Cristiano Biraghi leveled the score midway through the second half before La Viola defender Marin Pongracic received his second booking.
It was too little too late for Parma as Fiorentina stood firm to walk away with a point. While Pecchia’s team dropped two points, Milan earned one in the most remarkable fashion. Paulo Fonseca’s touchline debut had all the makings of an unmitigated disaster as the Rossoneri found themselves 2-0 down heading into second-half stoppages.
Alvaro Morata scored off the bench on his Milan debut to initiate the comeback before another clutch moment from Noah Okafor settled a nerve-wracking 2-2 draw. Fonseca’s decision to field a mixed line-up nearly ruined his first Serie A game in charge of the 19-time Serie A champions.
Therefore, Milan will take the Tardini pitch in search of redemption.
Match Preview
Parma
Despite earning top-flight promotion, it’s been a rough transfer window for Parma. Pecchia’s men have struggled to address the team’s shortcomings in the summer, casting doubt on their chances of avoiding an immediate relegation.
Former Lecce forward Pontus Almqvist is arguably the club’s most exciting summer addition. Getting the Swede on the scoresheet could be a good omen for Parma. Almqvist has won nine of his last 12 scoring outings (D1, L2), earning a tag as a ‘talismanic scorer.’
Scoring shouldn’t be a problem for the Crusaders, considering eight of their last nine Serie A games at the Tardini have seen both teams find the net. But scooping up points against Milan could be an issue. Parma have only drawn two of their last eight encounters against this opposition (L6).
Milan
Milan swept Parma aside on their last Serie A visit, claiming a 3-1 victory in April 2021. Headline winger Rafael Leao sealed the Crusaders’ fate in that fixture with a stoppage-time strike. He’ll look to add to his tally against the Emilia-Romagna outfit after a sub-par display against Torino
Heavily fancied to take three points, Milan enter this contest from a position of strength. They’re traditionally dominant in the opening Serie A rounds, as evidenced by their superb 11-game unbeaten league streak in August (W8, D3).
It’s been five years since they last lost a Serie A match in August. However, that doesn’t mean they can afford to take Parma for granted. Milan ended the 2023/24 league season on a three-game winless run on the road (D2, L1), conceding precisely three goals on two occasions.
Team News
Parma will be without long-serving midfield stalwart Hernani and versatile forward Adrian Benedyczak. On top of that, Pecchia is still sweating over the likes of Gianluca Di Chiara and Gabriel Charpentier. Both players are edging closer to full recovery. Yet, they may still miss out on this game.
As for Milan, Morata picked up a muscle injury earlier this week and will be on the sidelines for a fortnight. He has joined long-term absentees Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Sportiello in the treatment room. But summer arrivals Emerson Royal and Youssouf Fofana could make their Serie A debuts on Saturday.
Parma vs Milan Potential Line-ups
Parma (4-2-3-1): Zion Suzuki; Woyo Coulibaly, Enrico Del Prato, Alessandro Circati, Emanuele Valeri; Bernabe, Nahuel Estevez; Dennis Man, Simon Sohm, Valentin Mihaila; Ange-Yoan Bonny.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Theo Hernandez, Strahinja Pavlovic, Fikayo Tomori, Emerson Royal; Youssouf Fofana, Tijjani Reijnders; Samuel Chukwueze, Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao; Luka Jovic
Parma vs Milan Prediction
There’s a substantial gulf in quality between the two sides, and we expect Milan to live up to their tag as pre-match favorites.
Prediction: Milan to Win
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