AC Milan vs Parma – News and Probable Lineups

In pursuit of their finest Serie A unbeaten run since the early 1990s, AC Milan will aim to maintain their title challenge as Parma comes to San Siro on Sunday.

The Rossoneri remain undefeated in 24 league matches, but are trailing by seven points to cross-town rivals Inter de Milão following a draw midweek; conversely, their opponents are well-positioned to avoid relegation.

Match overview

The draw against Como has left Milan with a significant gap to bridge against league leaders Inter, despite their last league defeat being on the opening matchday.

Originally set to occur in Austrália due to San Siro hosting the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, the fixture was ultimately held in Itália’s second city, shortly following a 3-1 win for the Rossoneri in their previous encounter last month.

A tiff from that encounter lingers between Milan’s head coach Max Allegri – who received another red card – and Como’s manager Cesc Fabregas, as the home side came back from an unusual error by Mike Maignan to equalize through Rafael Leao.

This result kept Allegri’s side at 54 points, still seven behind title favorites Inter, but they have maintained their impressive unbeaten run in Serie A.

This weekend, Milan has the opportunity to achieve a feat of 25 league matches without a loss, a remarkable achievement not seen since the 34-match streak during the 1991-92 season.

Having claimed 25 points out of a possible 36 across a dozen home encounters and having won eight of their last 10 fixtures against Parma at San Siro, few would bet against them.

Following the teams’ 2-2 draw earlier this season, where they made a commendable comeback, Parma has also allowed at least one goal in 22 consecutive matches against Milan.

Though history may not be on their side, current form indicates they could provide a challenge.

After a somewhat fortunate 1-0 victory in Bologna, Carlos Cuesta’s squad again faced 10-man opponents last weekend – requiring another late goal to seal the win against Hellas Verona.

Playing at Stadio Tardini, the visitors were down to ten for nearly 80 minutes – coincidentally, Parma has received a league-high seven red cards against rival players – with Mateo Pellegrino’s latest header ultimately sealing the deal.

Positioned comfortably in 12th, the Gialloblu’s 29-point tally is their highest at this point in any Serie A season since 2020, with Cuesta steering them towards a third consecutive year in Italia’s top division.

Considering they have managed only four defeats out of 12 away matches – a superior record compared to European aspirants Napoli and Roma – the Emilian club may hope to surprise Milan on Sunday evening.

Team News

Although Allegri will serve his latest suspension this weekend, Milan will welcome back French midfielder Adrien Rabiot from a ban.

Strahinja Pavlovic was replaced against Como and may be absent due to injury, joining Santiago Gimenez on the sidelines, but key players Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao, and Alexis Saelemaekers have recently regained their fitness.

With joint-top scorers Pulisic and Leao, Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Fullkrug are also expected to compete for two offensive positions, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek has occasionally partnered with a lone striker.

Having been directly involved in three goals in his last four league appearances against Parma – including a penalty in their earlier match – the visitors will look to Pellegrino for inspiration.

Since the beginning of last season, no player has a greater percentage of headed goals in Serie A than the Argentinian (60% – six out of 10), ensuring his place at the forefront.

Cuesta will need to alter his defensive lineup, as Alessandro Circati is suspended; Mariano Troilo is set to return from a one-match suspension and may take his place.

Zion Suzuki, Abdoulaye N’Diaye, Pontus Almqvist, and Matija Frigan remain unavailable, although the latter is nearing a long-awaited comeback from an ACL injury.

AC Milan probable starting XI:

Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, De Winter; Saelemaekers, Jashari, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Leao, Nkunku

Parma probable starting XI:

Crows; Del Prato, Troilo, Valenti; Britschgi, Bernabe, Keita, Sorensen, Valeri; Strefezza; Pilgrim

More clinical than their opponents, Milan is poised to extend their unbeaten league streak to 25 by overcoming Parma.

The hosts boast the second-best shot conversion rate in Serie A, while Parma sits at the bottom with just 6%, indicating that a talented attacking line should muster at least two goals collectively.