A struggling Parma side host an AC Milan team surging towards the top of the Serie A standings, as a crucial tie lies ahead for Massimiliano Allegri.

Parma, who face AC Milan this weekend, took the cue from Como back in the summer in their effort to bring success through stability at the club. Como have achieved that to a degree under Cesc Fabregas, and Parma followed suit by appointing Spaniard Carlos Cuesta at the helm, having been impressed with his work at Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s close assistant.

The project is yet to take off under Cuesta, with Parma achieving only a single victory in their ten games in Serie A so far. That success came against Torino at the Tardini, as the strugglers have endured five losses and four draws this season.

Parma will aim to get a top result against title-chasing AC Milan, although they are the overwhelming underdogs in this tie. While the club might look away from a bad result on Saturday, they may not overlook the next few games, including the ones against fellow strugglers Hellas Verona and Pisa, as their inability to achieve success in those could mount pressure on Cuesta moving forward.

Meanwhile, title-chasing AC Milan come visiting Parma in their bid to keep their impressive vein of form going. The Rossoneri managed to beat title rivals AS Roma in a pulsating, yet cagey game at the San Siro last weekend. A first-half Stahinja Pavlovic strike proved enough to secure three points and move into third and above the capital giants in the standings.

Allegri’s side also extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to ten games with that victory, and with Napoli dropping points in their encounter with Como, Milan are only one point off the champions. In fact, they are tied on 21 points with second and fourth-placed Inter Milan and AS Roma, respectively, heading into the weekend.

Heading to the Tardini, AC Milan have won seven of their last ten games against Parma, while losing once in that period. The Rossoneri will be the overwhelming favourites to get three points in this encounter, although Allegri will want a good enough performance to keep the pressure on their fellow rivals, particularly Napoli.

Team News & Tactics

Parma

Carlos Cuesta hopes to get some key results on board, but he may have to do it without a host of his first-team stars. Last week saw centre-back Alessandro Circati and Nahuel Estevez added to Parma’s injury list.

That list already includes Emanuele Valeri, Matija Frigan, Gaetano Oristanio, as well as Swedish wingers Pontus Almqvist and Jacob Ondrejka. Moreover, Christian Ordonez will also miss out on a suspension, as Cuesta will feel his options are severely limited ahead of a big clash with AC Milan.

The bigger problem for the Parma manager is to find a rhythm with his attacking setup, as his front line is probably the worst in Europe at the moment, as Parma have scored only five goals, which is the fewest in all of the top-five leagues as things stand.

Chief among the misfiring frontliners is Patrick Cutrone, who may find his scoring boots against his former side, as Mateo Pellegrino will partner him up front.

Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Suzuki; Delprato, Valenti, Ndiaye, Britschgi; Hernani, Keita, Sorensen; Bernabe; Pellegrino, Cutrone

AC Milan

There was a massive boost for Massimiliano Allegri as he will have star man Christian Pulisic back in action after missing a considerable period with a severe injury sustained while playing for the USMNT.

The Rossoneri boss could also welcome Fikayo Tomori into the fold as the defender has overcome a knee problem and will be available for selection for this trip to Parma. Santiago Gimenez is still unavailable for AC Milan to take on Parma, and so is Adrien Rabiot. So, Allegri will still be able to name his strongest lineup for this clash.

The manager will continue to deploy a back three of Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Strahinja Pavlovic, with Alexis Saelemaekers and Davide Bartesaghi reprising the wing-back roles.

Samuele Ricci, Youssouf Fofana ,and Luka Modric are the midfielders that Allegri would continue to prefer despite having Ardon Jashari back in action. Up front, with Gimenez absent, Allegri will welcome the availability of Pulisic and pair him alongside Rafael Leao in a front two.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao

Key Stats

• Parma have only one victory in their opening ten games of this Serie A season.
• Parma’s five goals this season place them as the worst scoring team in Europe’s top-five leagues.
• AC Milan are undefeated in their last nine matches in Serie A.
• AC Milan are undefeated in 16 of their last 17 matches against Parma Calcio 1913 in all competitions.

Player to Watch

Christian Pulisic

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The wider expectation is for Pulisic to come straight into the starting lineup, albeit in a role he might not have played too much in a front two. The USMNT international is likely going to be paired with Rafael Leao in the frontline, and given AC Milan’s problems in the area, his expertise there will be a big boost for Allegri in how the manager wants to play.

Pulisic’s return could potentially boost AC Milan tremendously in their push for the title, as they are currently in a brilliant position to challenge their rivals for the grand prize. Moreover, without European football, the Rossoneri could have a good enough chance at the title, and Pulisic will be key to their quest.

Prediction

AC Milan 2-0 Parma

Parma are nowhere near the levels expected of them, as Cuesta has plenty of work to do to bring improvements to their fortunes. They are languishing around the relegation zone, and a few more bad results could see them drop down into the bottom three.

Moreover, their abysmal scoring records place them as the worst in that regard in Europe’s top five leagues, and that may not help their cause against Milan. AC Milan are coming into this game with the clear mindset of getting another win in the bag, as Allegri will want a better goalscoring performance from his players.

On paper, this trip to Parma should be straightforward for the Rossoneri, who are expected to keep a clean sheet and collect a crucial win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Massimiliano Allegri and his charges.