After an impressive 1-1 draw against Napoli, AC Milan will be looking to build on that display as they take on Parma in the 14th round. However, even though the performance was good last weekend, it still didn’t give the Rossoneri what they so desperately need: three points.
Thanks to the point, Pioli’s men went from 14th to 13th place in the standings, but there is still a long way to go. As the winter break is just four games away, it would be good to finish off the first half of the season strong. In Milan’s case, it might be better to replace good with necessary in that sentence.
TEAM NEWS
Compared to the game against Napoli, Pioli will have a few more players at his disposal. In addition to Bennacer and Calhanoglu, who are back from suspension, the likes of Borini, Castillejo and Suso have recovered from their respective injury struggles.
Given that they did perform well against Napoli, the manager will be looking to make as few changes as possible, and this shows in the probable line-ups that have been reported in the media as of late. In fact, there won’t be any changes in the defence, as Conte remains ahead of Calabria in the pecking order.
In the middle, on the other hand, we will see some rotation, mostly because Bennacer and Calhanoglu are back. According to Sky Italia, Paqueta isn’t fully fit and could miss out on the game, likely to be replaced by the Turkish international (who usually plays on the wing). Krunic or Kessie will complete the trio.
As a result of this, Bonaventura looks set to keep his spot on the left-wing, which really shouldn’t even have been a question given how crucial he was for the Rossoneri against Napoli. Once again, Piatek will get another chance to redeem himself from a very poor start, hoping to get the right service from the Italian and Suso.
Likely AC Milan (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Conti, Musacchio, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Calhanoglu, Bennacer, Krunic (Kessie); Suso, Piatek, Bonaventura.
STATS
As you can imagine, Milan are clear favourites to win this game, at least based on the stats. Then again, their start to the season has been far from good, which makes it hard to justify their position with numbers that are based on previous season (during which they have done well, most of the time). Down below are the top five facts and stats.
- Milan have found the net in each of their last 12 Serie A meetings against Parma: the Rossoneri have won eight of those matches (D2 L2).
- Parma have won four of their seven league games at Tardini Stadium this season (L3) – in the 21st century only twice have they won more games at this stage of the season at home in Serie A.
- Milan have picked up only one point in their last three games, they could go four league games without a win for the first time this season.
- Milan have lost the most points (six) with goals conceded in the last 20 minutes of play in Serie A this season. Parma are yet to lose a point during this period of play.
- Giacomo Bonaventura has been directly involved in three goals in his last three Serie A games against Parma (two goals, one assist).
PREDICTION
Even though I got last week’s prediction right (1-1 against Napoli), it’s very tough to get things right with Milan this season. Under Giampaolo, it was more or less impossible to understand the team’s form, but I must admit that Pioli has managed to shake things up. With that in mind, although tomorrow’s game will be tough, the Rossoneri should be able to grab the win.
Parma 1-2 AC Milan