AC Milan in search of first win against newly promoted Parma
After a draw on the opening matchday, Parma will host AC Milan at the Ennio Tardini next weekend for their second consecutive home game in Serie A. The match between Parma and AC Milan kicks off on Saturday, 24 August at 17:30 (GMT+1), giving both sides the chance to claim their first three points of the season.
Milan escape opening defeat against Torino
AC Milan made a far from convincing start to the new Serie A season. Against Torino, the Milanese club found themselves two goals down until the 68th minute, after an own goal from Malick Thiaw in the 30th minute and a powerful header from Duván Zapata in the 68th minute made it 2-0. Yet Milan managed to limit the damage thanks to two late strikes. Substitute Álvaro Morata, making his debut for the club, got his name on the scoresheet straight away. Five minutes into stoppage time, Noah Okafor struck again to make it 2-2, sparing Milan from an opening-day defeat. For manager Paulo Fonseca, who took charge on 1 July as the successor to Stefano Pioli, it was an eventful debut. The 51-year-old, formerly in charge of clubs including AS Roma, will be eager to secure his first league win with the club in Parma. Historical statistics give him reason for optimism: Milan have scored in each of the last 16 meetings with Parma and have claimed victory on at least one of the first two matchdays in each of the past twelve seasons. However, Fonseca will have to do without Álvaro Morata, who is sidelined with a thigh injury sustained against Torino. Alessandro Florenzi and goalkeeper Marco Sportiello are also unavailable. Luka Jović retains his place as striker in Fonseca's 4-2-3-1 system.
Parma look to use home advantage after difficult start
Parma returned to Serie A this season after a three-year absence from the top flight, but their comeback was far from straightforward. On the opening matchday, they were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Fiorentina at the Ennio Tardini. Romanian international Dennis Man gave Parma the lead in the 22nd minute with a fine left-footed strike from eighteen metres. Cristiano Biraghi, however, levelled the score in the 75th minute with an equally impressive effort. It marks the first time in the club's history that Parma have played their opening two competitive fixtures of a season both at home. Manager Fabio Pecchia will once again look to harness the energy of the home crowd as an added weapon against the visitors from Milan. Although Parma have gone winless in their last five head-to-head encounters across all competitions — recording no wins, two draws and three defeats — their most recent meeting, in December 2020, was a particularly dramatic affair. That game ended 2-2, with Théo Hernandez equalising in the final minute. Twenty-year-old forward Ange-Yoan Bonny will once again lead the line in Pecchia's 4-2-3-1. Hernani and Gabriel Charpentier are absent through a calf injury and a muscle injury respectively, but captain Enrico Del Prato returns to the squad after serving a suspension.
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Source: Sportmonks
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