Parma vs AC Milan prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-08-23 16:30.
[p]Having admitted that staying up is Parmaās āonly targetā this season, manager Fabio Pecchia ought to have been satisfied with avoiding defeat on their return to Serie A. Despite that, the boss insists that his side must āimproveā if they are to achieve their goal following a 1-1 draw with European hopefuls Fiorentina in their first game back in the Italian top flight after a three-year absence.[/p]
[p]That result came hot on the heels of a surprise 1-0 defeat to second tier side Palermo in the Coppa Italia, although a cup exit isnāt necessarily disastrous if it means full focus can go on their survival bid. Arguably their main concern now is the lack of action in the transfer market, with the Crusaders having added only five players to their squad so far since earning promotion in May which leaves them light on both quality and on squad depth.Ā [/p]
[p]Looking to add to that misery will be an AC Milan side who are unbeaten in the last eight H2Hs (W6, D2), a run dating back over ten years! Itās been an inauspicious start to the campaign for the Rossoneri, who required two last-gasp goals to earn a 2-2 draw against Torino in their opening league fixture, which was also a first match at the helm for manager Paulo Fonseca.[/p]
[p]History suggests that a victory might be around the corner, given that Milan have not lost a league game in the month of August since all the way back in 2019 (W8, D3). They will also hope to be closer to having a full-strength squad to choose from this weekend, after new signings Youssouf Fofana and Emerson Royal, who have joined from Monaco and Tottenham respectively, missed the Torino stalemate.Ā [/p]
[p]Players to watch: New signing Pontus Almqvist will be hoping to break his Parma duck in this outing, and it could be a good omen for the hosts if he does as he has won nine of the last 12 games in which heās scored (D1, L2). With Ćlvaro Morata injured, Noah Okafor might get the nod to start in attack after hitting an injury-time equaliser last round – his last six goals in club football have now served as the first or last of the game.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Eight of Parmaās last nine home matches in Serie A have seen both teams score.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Matt Jones[/i][/p]