The two sides were evenly matched during the first round match and both were forced to share the spoils, however, come this saturday when the Association of Football Specialists AC Milan take on young nzerbei Parma the two sides will be out for maximum hockey.
While Milan travelled to Stadio Tardini after a last gasp victory over Torino here, the hosts made Fiorentina regret their decision to return to Italy’s top flight football next season.
As Milan’s forgotten ‘supersub’ Noah Okafor took to the pitch yet again to single-handedly come to his team’s rescue last week, they were perhaps lucky to take a point out of their league match.
When the game moved to stoppage time, Torino leading the match by two goals, their star signing Alvaro Morata scored a goal to reduce the deficit by a goal from close range, then Okafor took the match into another drama by scoring an equalising goal in the fifth added minute.
New boss Paulo Fonseca was therefore a relieved man as with many of the fans expressing their doubt regarding his appointment at the beginning of the summer transfer window, he could not begin his tenure at the membership level with a loss at home.
The former Roma trainer was keen to put even more distance between Milan and this year’s arrivals Inter Milan who last season saw the Rossoneri finish 19 points ahead of them, and therefore the pressure to beat the promoted team this weekend is already on.
in the last twelve years, they have never lost both of their initial league games; in the last forty years, only one Milan’s manager, namely Fonseca’s successor, Stefano Pioli, had not won at least one of his first two games in the post.
At least historically, Milan's superiority against Parma indicates he should have no trouble getting off to a good start; in their past eight meetings, the teams have gone undefeated and have won six of them.
In fact, the hosts on Saturday have given up a goal or more in each of their last 16 league encounters with Milan, averaging 2.4 goals per contest.
Despite being the underdogs once more, Parma could still think they can pull off an upset by taking advantage of the fact that this is the first time the Emilian club has ever opened a Serie A season with back-to-back home games.
Their top-flight comeback against ambitious Fiorentina resulted in a draw as Dennis Man's first-half score was cancelled out by a trademark Cristiano Biraghi free kick. Last season, they had topped Italy's second division.
The Crociati had a great start to their first Serie A season since 2021, and after an incredible season in which they averaged two points per game, head coach Fabio Pecchia will be asked to keep them afloat come May.
Even though Serie B team Palermo just eliminated them from the Coppa Italia in the first round, their performance last week should provide confidence ahead of a real Calcio giant's visit.
After making his debut as a substitute against Torino—still not fully recovered from his strenuous play during Spain's victorious Euro 2024 campaign—and then scoring, Milan's biggest summer acquisition will be sidelined due to a thigh injury on Saturday.
As a result, Noah Okafor or Luka Jovic should start this weekend; although, the latter could be more effective in the second half. Okafor has scored seven goals in Serie A since the beginning of the previous season, six of which have come after coming off the bench. No player has scored more goals in this role than Okafor.
Youssouf Fofana and Emerson Royal, recent newcomers, may also play at some point, although French defender Pierre Kalulu has already departed San Siro for Juventus.
