Serie A: Zlatan-Less Milan to Show Their Teeth Against Parma

AC Milan vs Parma

AC Milan plan to maintain their unbeaten streak here in Serie A as they host Parma in San Siro this Sunday night.

They remain on top of the Italian top-flight standings after 10 matches as team manager Stefano Pioli has established a winning mentality with his squad. 

As of the moment they have 26 points and are four points clear over second-seeded Sassuolo.

The Rossoneri are the obvious favourites in this match since their visitors in Parma are only placed 16th at the table. Fabio Liverani’s side have gathered 10 points and they will be more than happy if they get a positive result here.

Both of these sides have been playing well as of late. While AC Milan continue to be the winners in the league week in and week out, Parma’s recent Serie A 2020 results have been overlooked.

Since late November, the Ducali have yet to lose a game in all competitions so they will be coming in with some semblance of momentum.

Read on below as SBOTOP previews this weekend’s matchup. 

 

 

Talking points

AC Milan’s strength in numbers

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been the centerpiece for the Rossoneri’s revival this season, which leaves us to wonder on how will they fare without him.

The Sweden international was hit by COVID-19 earlier this season, and then he picked up a thigh bruise during their 3-1 win against Napoli last November.

But even without him, Stefano Pioli’s men continue to roll with positive results both in the Serie A and Europa League.

They have booked their ticket to the Final 16 by sitting on top of Group H — capped off with a tight win over Sparta Prague — and they remain unbeaten in this term.

Since the Napoli game, The Rossoneri won against Fiorentina and Sampdoria as Franck Kessie and Jens Petter Hauge were shouldering the load on offence.

These two men are needed to be at their sparkling best when they host Parma anew. They have already accounted for four goals each along with three total assists.

The good news for AC Milan is the upcoming return of Portuguese striker Rafael Leao and midfielder Ismael Bennacer. 

Leao sustained a thigh injury while on international duty last month, while Bennacer had concerns about his adductor early on.

Those returns along with the superb performances of Sandro Tonali, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Ante Rebic make the Rossoneri the overwhelming favourites for this fixture.

 

Parma eager to prove that they’re no pushovers

While Parma have shown improvements over the past few weeks, a lot of work needs to be done in order for them to move up to the table.

They are currently one of the worst scoring teams in Serie A with only 10 goals, while they have conceded 17 in return.

After being haunted by inconsistency in their first few matches, the Ducali are starting to turn things around as they are now undefeated in the last three games – both in Serie A and in the Cup.

Veteran forward Gervinho continues to show everyone that he’s still got it and he leads the team with four goals.

However, the other forwards at Parma have been largely missing in action when it comes to scoring goals.

Andreas Cornelius, Roberto Inglese, and Yann Karamoh have been goal-shy and they need to step up for the club now. 

 

History 

The Rossoneri have been excpetional against the Ducali in the 22 matches they’ve played since the turn of the century.

AC Milan have won 17 out of those 22 games, while Parma have won in only three occasions along with two draws.

Their previous matchup last July ended in a 3-1 victory for Stefano Pioli’s men as Franck Kessie had a field day, and he will be relied upon once more to produce this weekend. 

In the said game, AC Milan had a whopping total of 26 shots compared to Parma’s 12 – with seven of those on target. 

Even without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Parma’s defence will be in for a long night. 

 

Betting Tip

	AC Milan vs Parma	AC Milan Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 1.92
	December 14, 3:45(GMT+8)

The Serie A 2020 odds dub AC Milan as the big favourites. And barring unforeseen circumstances, they should take care of business easily.

The Rossoneri are priced to win at 1.30, while Parma are behind at 8.25 and chances for a draw are at 5.60 in the 1×2 market.

With capable goalscorers particularly for AC Milan, going for Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.14 and Over 2.50 @ 1.97 are good bets too especially since Parma are expected to answer back with a goal of their own at some point.

Parma have the players who can pose trouble for AC Milan in this fixture, but the latter’s superior depth and overall quality should pull them through to their ninth victory of the 2020/21 season. 

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (Highly confident)	= €10 (CONFIDENT)	= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

 

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The post Serie A: Zlatan-Less Milan to Show Their Teeth Against Parma appeared first on SBOTOP.