Parma vs AC Milan: Can Rossoneri get back on track?

With their Scudetto dreams now evaporated, Milan will still hope to get back on track as they take on Parma.

At the start of 2021, Milan were in pole position to win their first Scudetto since 2011. The Rossoneri were unbeaten and on top of the Serie A table. Three months later, and Stefano Pioli’s men have lost five times and are now 11 points behind city rivals Inter. For all intents and purposes, the league title will be in the hands of the Nerazzurri, who are looking good to win their first league title since 2010.

It’s a bitter turn of events for the Diavolo, who are also out of the Europa League after losing to Manchester United, as well as the Coppa Italia. That means that Pioli and his side will not win any silverware this term. Still, at the very least, they can still qualify for the Champions League for the first time in eight years, which would at least be a bright light for a team who haven’t won the coveted trophy since 2007. Milan, for all their struggles at home, have done quite well in their travels, especially in Serie A, where they’ve won 14 of their last 16 on the road. In addition, they have historically done well against upcoming hosts Parma – they haven’t lost to the Crociati since March 2014.

Meanwhile, Parma, who currently are under the guidance of Roberto D’Aversa, sit in 19th spot, four points from safety. They endured a horrid start to 2021, which saw them pick up just one point from their first eight games. That being said, Crociati have finally started to see small signs of improvement, namely their five points from their last four games, including a victory, which is noteworthy as Parma have only won three games all season. Still, they have a long way to go as they still need to win quite a few more matches in order to drag themselves out of the drop zone.

Meanwhile, Milan, who are in second place, will want to keep Juventus and Napoli at bay. The Bianconeri, at this point, also know that their Scudetto dreams are over, and are now battling to secure a place in the Champions League. They recently beat Napoli to give Andrea Pirlo a lifeline, but that may not be enough to ensure that the former Bianconeri and Rossoneri midfielder extends his stay at the Allianz Stadium beyond this season. As for the Partenopei, they’re still in the hunt for a top four spot as well. And then, there’s Atalanta. La Dea have been trying to force their way to the table for the past few seasons, and although they haven’t made any real inroads in the Champions League just yet, that doesn’t mean they’re not going stop knocking at the door. For a small club with limited resources, they’ve done decently enough, and realistically, no one can expect them to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid on the bigger stage. But qualifying for the Champions League each season is good enough, as it does bring additional funds into their coffers, and for the plucky Bergamo club and their players, getting the opportunity simply to compete is an experience in itself.

Milan certainly wouldn’t want any of these teams to push them out for them to have to settle for a Europa League spot once again. Losing out on the Scudetto, when it was once within their grasp, is bad enough. But to lose out on the Champions League, which is now the only consolation left after a disappointing season, would be simply agonizing.

So, will the visitors be able to rebound with an expected win here? Parma’s troops have been decimated by injury, and this couldn’t be a better chance for Pioli’s team to rebound after their shock draw with Sampdoria last weekend.

Let’s see if they can seize this chance to get back to winning ways on Saturday evening.