Paulo Fonseca will aim to get off the mark as AC Milan manager as he takes his side to face newly promoted Parma, who are in a confident mood.
Fabio Pecchia will have been happy at the outcome of their opening day result against Fiorentina, although he might have briefly dreamed of a sensational win there. Dennis Man’s opener in the 22nd minute, as their overall resilient display did bring some hope and optimism. Up next for Parma are AC Milan.
Cristiano Biraghi’s trademark freekick midway in the 75th minute drew the contest level, although a late red card for Fiorentina’s Marin Pongracic once again turned the odds in Parma’s favour. As the game ended in a draw, Pecchia will have been the happier manager here, as he now prepares his team for a home game with Milan visiting.
AC Milan have made some necessary changes during the summer, including a big change in the dugout with Paulo Fonseca taking over the reins from Stefano Pioli. The former AS Roma and LOSC Lille tactician did not have the best of starts at San Siro, managing only an opening-day draw against Torino.
The AC Milan fans had their doubts over this particular appointment in the summer, and their scepticism could have boiled over had it not been for the late comeback to draw the game. Torino took a first-half lead through a Malick Thiaw own goal, with Duvan Zapata doubling the advantage in the 68th minute. At this point, the game went away from Fonseca’s grasp, but Milan had other plans.
New arrival Alvaro Morata salvaged a goal in the 89th minute. Then, their go-to substitute, Noah Okafor, equalised in the ffth minute of stoppage time to bring some relief to Fonseca’s dugout. Their new boss will want to avoid more complications, which will only ease with a win over newly promoted Parma on Saturday.
Team News & Tactics
Parma
Fabio Pecchia does have a. few injury problems heading into the weekend, alongside the prospect of having a key player back in contention. Hernani is out with a calf problem, while Gabriel Charpentier also has fitness trouble, with the duo set to miss the weekend’s action against AC Milan.
The manager will have skipper Enrico Del Prato back in contention after serving a suspension, which could see the defender come into the starting lineup and take up a central role besides Woyo Coulibaly, who will play right-back. Last weekend’s goalscorer, Dennis Man, will continue to keep his place in the attack, having continued his form from last season.
He will have Ange-Yoan Bonny leading the line for Parma, with the other attackers also set to retain their spots. The one player many will have eyes on is Japanese keeper Zion Suzuki, who saved six shots on Matchday 1, which was more than any other goalkeeper in Serie A.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Coulibaly, Del Prato, Circati, Valeri; Bernabe, Estevez; Man, Sohm, Mihaila; Bonny
AC Milan
Paulo Fonseca will assess his squad before naming a solid lineup to face Parma. Goalscorer and summer arrival Alvaro Morata might have scored the equaliser, but it might have come at a cost, as the attacker will miss the weekend’s action with a thigh injury.
Hence, the manager will have to make a tough call on his starting striker, with Luka Jovic and Okafor. The latter might be on everyone’s mind following his late equaliser against Torino, but the Swiss forward is a tempting option to have on the bench to come at some stage if Milan need a game-changer.
There could be a few changes that Fonseca will ponder after the first game, mainly due to the more ready-fitness of critical stars. For instance, Tijjani Reijnders might come into that field, lining up alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the middle of thepark.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Jovic
Key Stats
- Parma have failed to win their last 12 matches in Serie A.
- Parma averaged an impressive two points per game last season in Serie B.
- AC Milan are undefeated in their last 15 matches against Parma Calcio 1913 in all competitions.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 10 of AC Milan’s last 11 games in Serie A.
Player to Watch
Luka Jovic
AC Milan clearly had ideas in this window to find a new striker to replace Oliver Giroud and did so by signing Alvaro Morata. The Spaniard did start from the bench last weekend, with Luka Jovic leading the line to not much effect. With Morata set to miss a few games with a thigh injury and Noah Okafor likely to be preferred from the bench, it is an opportunity for the Serb to make his presence felt.
There is a big chance that Paulo Fonseca will be experimenting with his options, and should Jovic fail to deliver either through his overall performance or goals, Okafor will be breathing down his neck to take over as the starting striker at least until Morata returns. Hence, this is a big game for Jovic to showcase he is capable of being trusted and can put in a display that could help him cement a place.
Prediction
Parma 1-2 AC Milan
Parma might be a newly promoted side in this season’s Serie A, but they do represent a tricky opponent for even the most significant sides, including AC Milan. From their performances, it is clear their manager has a good approach towards the top-flight games and will push Milan to find a way to break through their setup.
Milan, however, are well-equipped with good attackers and a strong midfield, which will see Paulo Fonseca’s men triumph in this encounter. Milan could still have to work hard to collect their first win of this season, which will add to the pressure on Fonseca ahead of Matchday 2.
