In a surprising turn of events, AC Milan suffered a 2-1 defeat against newly-promoted Parma at the Stadio Ennio Tardini. The match exposed Milan’s vulnerability to counter-attacks as new coach Paulo Fonseca struggled to convey his brand of football.
Parma wasted no time in asserting their dominance, with Dennis Man finding the back of the net just 90 seconds into the game. The Romanian forward capitalized on a cross from Emanuele Valeri, tapping in from close range at the far post.
Despite Milan’s efforts to equalize, including near misses from Strahinja Pavlovic and Tijjani Reijnders, Parma’s defense held firm. The home side even threatened to extend their lead, with Valentin Mihaila coming close on multiple occasions.
The Rossoneri showed signs of life in the second half, with Christian Pulisic eventually leveling the score in the 66th minute. The American winger finished off a well-worked move involving Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez.
However, Milan’s joy was short-lived. Just eleven minutes later, Parma struck again on the counter-attack. A misplaced pass from Leao set the stage for Pontus Almqvist to initiate a swift break, culminating in Matteo Cancellieri’s decisive goal.
This defeat serves as a wake-up call for Fonseca’s side, who had previously salvaged a draw against Torino in their season opener. The result highlights Milan’s ongoing struggles with defending against quick transitions and raises questions about their title aspirations for the 2024-25 season.
Goals: 2′ Man (P), 66′ Pulisic (M), 77′ Cancellieri (P)
Parma (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Coulibaly, Balogh, Circati, Valeri; Sohm (59′ Cancellieri), Estévez (74′ Cyprien); Man (74′ Almqvist), Bernabé, Mihăilă (70′ Del Prato); Bonny. Subs: Chichizola, Corvi; Camara, Hainaut; Haj, Kowalski, Mikołajewski. Coach: Pecchia.
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria (67′ E. Royal), Tomori, Pavlović, Hernández; Musah (67′ Fofana), Reijnders; Pulisic (86′ Chukwueze), Loftus-Cheek, Leão; Okafor (86′ Jović). Subs: Raveyre, Torriani; Gabbia, Terracciano, Thiaw; Bennacer, Saelemaekers. Coach: Fonseca.
