The five key battles that could win or lose the game for Milan against Parma

AC Milan make the Saturday night trip to the Stadio Ennio Tardini to take on Parma, hoping to take back top spot at least for the time being.

Milan should have some confidence going into this one given they are nine unbeaten in Serie A and beat Roma in a huge San Siro six-pointer last Sunday night. However, the loss to Cremonese and the draw against Pisa has already shown this side to be susceptible to banana skins.

Some very positive news came from Milanello during the week: Christian Pulisic has recovered and will be in the matchday squad, but is expected to start on the bench. Adrien Rabiot remains out, while Santiago Gimenez is sidelined with an ankle issue.

Parma vs. AC Milan: The five key battles

Looking at the key duels across the park, we start with the man who is perhaps most under pressure to perform, certainly in the attacking department. Christopher Nkunku was Milan’s most expensive summer signing and he is yet to deliver a league goal, though he has played just 192 minutes in his defence.

This is nonetheless an opportunity for the Frenchman to show that he should keep his spot even when everyone is fully fit. His opponent will be the left-sided centre-back Lautaro Valenti, an Argentine that has been with Parma for five years now and – at 26 years of age – has established himself as a starter even under the new coach Carlos Cuesta.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Parma have scored only five Serie A goals this season, and two of them have come from striker Mateo Pellegrino. What is interesting about his night is that Milan have been linked with a move for the Argentine in the days leading up to the game, so the 24-year-old has the opportunity to impress Igli Tare and the management up close.

The Rossoneri’s rearguard will likely slide to the left a bit given a battle we will mention shortly, and that means Pellegrino will likely be engaged in a duel with Koni De Winter who is tipped to start at RCB. The Belgian has struggled for starts this season but has looked a bit shaky when he has had them, though this is a chance for him to show how solid he can be with Tomori not at 100%.

Parma’s most creative outlet is without doubt Adrian Bernabe. He is another player that has been linked with a move to Milan in the not too distant past, and the Spaniard is down to start on the right wing but in all likelihood will drift in field to try and link up with the front two. Bernabe is one of only four Gialloblu players to score a league goal.

His position means that Strahinja Pavlovic is likely to be the one who engages. The Serbian was the hero on Sunday with his winner against Roma that came after bombing forward in transition, but tonight he will have to continue to do the defensive side of his work to a high standard, with another clean sheet the main aim.

The main threat for the Rossoneri is obviously Rafael Leao. He has four goal contributions in just 363 minutes of Serie A action since coming back from the calf issue he sustained in August. The Portuguese was a ghost early on against Roma, and then provided a reminder of his game-changing capabilities with that trademark run and cut-back for the goal.

Leao will most likely face Parma’s left centre-back Abdoulaye Niakhate Ndiaye. The Senegal international was one of the summer signings that the Ducali made, joining from FC Troyes in France. He has started exactly half of the league fixtures under Cuesta, and this is arguably the toughest examination he could get early on in his time in Italy.

Finally, we end with a contest in the midfield between Mandela Keita and Samuele Ricci. This might not be the most glamorous of duels, but the engine room is often where games are won and lost, and this applies especially tonight when a midfield double pivot (for Parma) comes up against a trio that includes Luka Modric.

Keita has started all 10 games this season in the league which shows just how important he is for Cuesta. The Belgian is the legs along with Oliver Sørensen, and Ricci – who just received a call-up to the Italian national team after a period of absence – will have to put in a good shift to prove he should still start when Rabiot returns.