Parma vs AC Milan Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Italian Serie A
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Following their promotion back to the top-flight last season, Parma enjoyed an impressive performance as they shared a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at the Ennio Tardini. They now face an AC Milan side that are suffering from teething issues at the start of the Paulo Fonseca era.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 24th August, 2024 - UK – 5:30pm / US ET – 12:30pm / US PT – 9:30am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Select matches will be televised on CBS Sports so it is worth checking their schedule
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – OneFootball / US – Paramount+
PARMA PREVIEW: AMBITIOUS RETURN OF PARMA
Under the management of former Juventus U23 boss Fabio Pecchia, Parma won Serie B last season as the famed and historic club returned to the top-flight once again. They have been relatively quiet in the transfer window but recent acquisitions of attackers Pontus Almqvist and Matteo Cancellieri have provided a new dimension.
They began their 2024/25 season with a 1-1 draw against a Fiorentina side that are currently transitioning away from Vincenzo Italiano to Raffaele Palladino. Dennis Man opened the scoring for Parma after 23 minutes before Cristiano Biraghi equalised in the 75th minute and then Parma couldn’t take advantage of Marin Pongracic being sent off for I Viola.
AC MILAN PREVIEW: ROSSONERI FIGHTING BACK
On the opening day of the season at San Siro, Milan needed heroics to rescue a point in Paulo Fonseca’s first game in charge. Up against an evolving Torino side, the Rossoneri found themselves 2-0 down in the 89th minute after an own goal from Malick Thiaw and then a second-half strike from Duvan Zapata.
However, new signing Alvaro Morata, who captained Spain to UEFA EURO 2024 glory in the summer, scored an 89th minute goal on his competitive debut for the seven-time European champions before Switzerland international Noah Okafor found an equaliser deep into stoppage-time.
PARMA TEAM NEWS: NO NEED TO CHANGE
After an impressive performance on the opening day of the season, there doesn’t appear any reason for Parma to change their system or personnel or this weekend with no fresh injury concerns or suspension issues.
Experienced Brazilian midfielder Hernani does remain sidelined for the visitors alongside forward players Adrian Benedyczak and Gabriel Charpentier.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Coulibaly, Balogh, Circati, Valeri; Nahuel Estevez, Sohm; Man, Adrian Bernabe, Mihaila; Bonny
UNAVAILABLE: Charpentier (Injured), Hernani (Injured), Benedyczak (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
AC MILAN TEAM NEWS: FRUSTRATION FOR MILAN
Aforementioned new signing and debutant goal scorer Alvaro Morata has suffered a muscle injury which is, frustratingly, set to see him miss a few weeks and that will immensely irritate Paulo Fonseca.
As well as the Spaniard, AC Milan are also set be without the experience of goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and utility man Alessandro Florenzi for a while due to respective injuries.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Saelemaekers; Bennacer, Loftus-Cheek; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Jovic
UNAVAILABLE: Sportiello (Injured), Florenzi (Injured), Alvaro Morata (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
PARMA VS AC MILAN PREDICTION
Despite being a newly-promoted side, Parma showed a lot of ambition and promise on the opening day of the season and they appear in a good state to take the game to AC Milan, especially with their home advantage. Milan showed vulnerability and fragility against Torino so will be concerned about that and even more so now with an injury to Alvaro Morata. Both teams scoring would seem a good value bet for this one.
PARMA VS AC MILAN TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE