Game recap: Parma 4-5 Milan

THE ROSSONERI picked up their 2nd consecutive win of the young season last night, albeit in chaotic fashion, winning 5-4 on the road at the Stadio Ennio Tardini against Parma.

Jeremy Menez emerged as the hero for AC Milan during the game, as his pace and creativity was too much for the home side to counter. The first 20 minutes of the game were rather quiet other than a fourth minute drive from full back Mattia De Sciglio, who blazed over from the top of the D after a bouncing ball found its way to his feet.

23 minutes in and midfielder Keisuke Honda manages to dizzy his marker in the right corner and feeds in a cross. Giacomo Bonaventura, making his AC Milan debut, connected with his head and should have done much better with only the keeper to beat, but the ball rolled wide. 2 minutes later, the midfielder would hit pay dirt. Honda again penetrates the defensive heart of Parma and pokes a ball forward to Bonaventura who stepped over the ball and then turned and fired a low ball into the corner of the Parma goal.

Highlights: Parma 4-5 Milan
Parma-Milan: Official line-ups

The go ahead was short lived however as two minutes later, striker Antonio Cassano was left unmarked as the Milan defense became attracted to the ball and forgot to mark their man. A cross from the left of the 18 yard box finds Cassano’s head and it’s all tied up again.

Then started the “anything you can do, I can do better” part of the game, as Milan made it a point to leave the Tardini stadium with all the points from the game. Fullback Ignazio Abate was picked out in the flank with a perfectly timed ball and the equally impressive looping cross found Honda’s head as he put Milan ahead again in the 37th minute. Right before half time, a long ball to the forwards, saw summer signing Menez race ahead of Parma defender Alessandro Lucarelli, who had no choice but to pull him down, earning himself a yellow and giving the ref no choice but to award the spot kick. Menez coolly took the penalty and Milan was ahead by 2 at the break.

Out of the break, it took only 6 minutes for Parma to pull one back by way of Felipe. A corner is taken short by the home team and the cross finds Felipe who is able to convert. 7 minutes later, the player that most Rossoneri fans despise, Daniele Bonera, shows exactly why as his second yellow puts Milan in a very tough situation going down to 10 men and giving Parma a free kick right at the edge of the box by way of a hand ball that was lucky to not be awarded a penalty.

On 68 minutes, the Parma midfield tried to toy with midfield ace Nigel de Jong who was able to get a foot in and stab the ball towards the Parma goal and then he was off to the races. De Jong slotted home in the bottom right hand corner as the defender and keeper were closing in. 7 minutes later and Parma had scored again by way of defender Lucarelli who scores the 3rd goal. Poor defending from a corner allowed the goal to be scored yet again.

The 77th minute saw a bit of drama ensue as Felipe fouled Menez and was shown his second yellow and all of a sudden the game became 10 versus 10. Milan would take advantage of being all even again with a goal two minutes later. Parma’s defense was asleep as a poor back pass was picked off by Menez who raced across the mouth of goal and neatly back-heeled for his second goal of the game and the goal that put Milan ahead for good.

There was time for late drama in the 89th minute as well, as Mattia De Sciglio scored the most bizarre own goal you will ever see. A seemingly normal back pass to the keeper saw Diego Lopez pull up with what looked like a hamstring injury and thus was unable to control the ball which ended up in the back of the net.

What most Milan fans will take away from this game is how Daniele Bonera continues to be the first choice central back ahead of the likes of Rami, Mexes and Zapata. The guy was the reason that the first two goals were scored and is unworthy of the captaincy of Milan. Coach Filippo Inzaghi needs to review this situation seriously and make the necessary changes. Otherwise the team played well tactically and showed an attacking flair that was so often absent in Milan’s recent memory.

As always, Forza Milan!