Milan's Title Ambitions Crushed by Parma's Shock Victory
In a stunning turn of events, AC Milan's Serie A title hopes took a severe hit as they fell 1-0 to Parma at home, leaving them a daunting 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan. The defeat was compounded by a devastating injury to midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who suffered a broken jaw in a collision and is expected to miss several months, potentially jeopardizing his World Cup aspirations.
A Grim Week for Italian Football
This loss comes during a week when Milan had a strategic advantage, with six days to prepare against bottom-half opposition while rivals like Inter, Juventus, and Atalanta faced exhausting European trips. However, Italian football overall endured a dismal period, with Champions League representatives Inter, Juventus, and Atalanta losing by a combined 10-3 to Bodø/Glimt, Galatasaray, and Borussia Dortmund, sparking debates about the league's competitiveness.
Despite Serie A's commercial lag behind Europe's top leagues, the focus should remain on specific team performances. Inter, for instance, showcased defensive frailties against Bodø but rebounded with a 2-0 win over Lecce, highlighting their ruthlessness against weaker sides. In contrast, Milan has excelled in big games this season, beating Inter, Napoli, and Roma, but has consistently dropped points to lower-ranked teams like Cremonese, Pisa, Genoa, Fiorentina, and now Parma.
Loftus-Cheek's Devastating Injury
The match took a tragic turn early on when Ruben Loftus-Cheek collided with Parma's goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi in the seventh minute, resulting in a fracture to his upper teeth and maxillary alveolar bone. Carried off on a stretcher with his head in a brace, the English midfielder faces surgery and a lengthy recovery, dealing a blow to his hopes of featuring in the upcoming World Cup after his recent national team recall.
Milan struggled to find rhythm post-injury, with Ardon Jashari replacing Loftus-Cheek. Even before the incident, Parma threatened, as Emanuele Valeri's cross led to Mateo Pellegrino volleying just wide. Milan dominated possession but only threatened in the second half, with Rafael Leão hitting the post and Christian Pulisic's rebound blocked.
Carlos Cuesta's Parma Defies Expectations
Parma's victory is a testament to manager Carlos Cuesta's unconventional rise. At 29, with no prior first-team coaching or professional playing experience, Cuesta has guided Parma from relegation battlers to mid-table security. Known from Arsenal's All or Nothing series, where he served as an assistant to Mikel Arteta, Cuesta started his coaching journey at Atlético Madrid's academy and impressed Juventus director Federico Cherubini, who later brought him to Parma.
Contrary to expectations, Cuesta has not implemented a possession-based system but opts for a deep-lying, long-ball strategy with a back three. This approach has yielded three consecutive Serie A wins, pushing Parma to 12th place and closer to survival.
Parma's Decisive Goal and Milan's Fallout
The only goal came in the 80th minute when Mariano Troilo headed in from a corner, initially disallowed for a foul on goalkeeper Mike Maignan but overturned by VAR. Parma held on for a 1-0 win, their third straight victory, while Milan's defeat leaves them 10 points adrift of Inter.
Despite the setback, Milan remains second in Serie A, eight points clear of fifth place, with only two losses this season. Manager Massimiliano Allegri, suspended for this match, had earlier stated that Milan needed to win 12 of their remaining 13 games to catch Inter, making the title race mathematically challenging but not impossible.
In other Serie A results, Juventus lost 0-2 to Como, and Napoli fell 2-1 to Atalanta, intensifying the battle for Champions League spots. The league table shows Inter leading with 64 points, followed by Milan (54), Napoli (50), Roma (50), and Juventus (46).
