AC Milan seems to be struggling to find their rhythm in the new season, as they were unexpectedly defeated by Serie A newcomers Parma in the second round.
Despite fielding a lineup with star players such as Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, and Theo Hernandez, the squad under new coach Paulo Fonseca suffered a surprising 1-2 defeat at Parma’s home ground in the second round of Serie A 2024/25.
The team’s performance was lackluster and disjointed, with individual efforts unable to secure their first three points of the season. Milan dominated possession with 66% of the ball and fired 17 shots at the Parma goal, but only 5 were on target, and only 1 resulted in a goal by American forward Christian Pulisic.
In contrast, Parma managed to score twice from their 5 shots on target. French goalkeeper Mike Maignan was beaten in the 2nd minute when Parma’s Dennis Man, who had a standout performance in Euro 2024, scored the opening goal. Milan’s brief moment of joy, when Pulisic equalized, was short-lived as Matteo Cancellieri scored the decisive goal for Parma in the 77th minute.
Following this defeat, AC Milan must urgently address their issues to avoid a deeper crisis. Despite bringing in several high-quality new signings, coach Fonseca has yet to successfully integrate the new players. Luka Jovic and Noah Okafor have been underwhelming as replacements for Alvaro Morata in the attack, and Rafael Leao seems to be distracted, with his desire to join Barcelona this summer being met with a firm stance from Milan’s management.
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