My First Serie A Game: AC Milan vs Parma Review
Walking up to the San Siro, I was immediately overwhelmed by the atmosphere, the passion, and the beauty of such an incredible stadium. AC Milan is one of the most historic clubs in Europe, and it was a dream to experience a game in person. Not to mention, I witnessed a comeback for the ages, as Milan scored two goals in added time to steal a 3-2 victory over Parma. For the full video of my experience, check out our instagram @wecallitsoccer_podcast. To hear my full review of the game, continue reading…
Pre-match Atmosphere
San Siro in all its Glory.
I caught my first glimpse of the San Siro in the taxi ride from the train station, and I was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the stadium. I always knew it was one of Europe’s biggest and most historic, but seeing it live is an entirely different story. With massive spiral staircases on all sides, the look of the stadium is really incredible. It’s old, with no elevators, but it almost adds to the atmosphere and magical feeling when you enter. Getting out of the cab, the Milan fans are immediately in full voice, as everyone gathers outside the gates to grab a pre-match beer and panino. I noticed that the so-called “Ultras” of Milan were dressed in all black, and they all sit in the same section of the stadium behind the goal. These are the die-hard fans you do not wanna mess with. Despite studying in Parma this semester, I was a Milan fan for the day, both for my safety and also to support my American players- Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah.
As we finally arrived at our seats after walking the entire spiral staircase, it was a special feeling. Despite sitting in the nosebleeds, we had a great aerial view of the entire field and the whole stadium. Songs played on the loudspeakers as both teams warmed up, and every Italian fan around us had a cigarette in their hands. It’s part of the experience. When the Milan announcer announced the lineups for both sides, the Milan fans all screamed out their players’ last names. I particularly loved the roar that Pulisic’s name received, and you can tell how much they love him here in Milan. Even every single billboard and advertisement outside the stadium shows Christian’s face. He is THAT guy in Milan, and it’s incredible to see an American thriving at one of the most historic soccer clubs in the world. The teams walked onto the field, and we were ready for kickoff. Milan was favored here, but both teams were struggling for form- Milan fighting for the European places and Parma fighting to stay in Serie A.
First Half
Parma started as the better team, as Matteo Cancellieri opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a well taken left-footed finish. Theo Hernandez slipped at a crucial moment, as a cross-field pass made its way to Cancellieri on the right wing. He received it, drove straight at Theo, cut inside and finished into the bottom left corner. The home crowd was stunned, and actually Parma defeated Milan 2-1 when they met earlier in the season. Milan looked on course for another shock defeat. That is, until they got absolutely gifted a penalty.
A bit more than 10 minutes later, the referee called a penalty on Parma keeper Zion Suzuki as he pushed a Milan player while punching the ball on a corner. Though it was a terrible call in my opinion, it did give an opportunity for Captain America to score from the spot, which I was hoping I’d be able to witness. Pulisic buried the penalty into the bottom left corner in front of my side of the field, tying the game at 1 before half. What a moment to witness.
Second Half
The game became somewhat of a stalemate for the first 30 minutes of the second half. Both teams had their chances, but it wasn’t looking like either team would snatch the winner. Then, in the 80th minute, it looked as if Parma had stolen the game. Their captain, Enrico Del Prato, slid in to finish a rebound after a save from Mike Maignan in net. That 3 points would have been massive for the team in yellow, as they currently sit just one point above the relegation zone. The Parma fans up high on my left side were going absolutely insane. However, Tijjani Reijnders and Milan had other ideas.
Before Milan eventually snatched the win, they saw an 88th minute headed goal from center back Strahinja Pavlovic overturned by VAR for offsides. The drama could not have been higher, and the tension between the two sets of fans grew as the Parma section really gave it to the home crowd after the VAR decision. Then, in the 92nd minute of 6 total added, Yunus Musah played a perfectly weighted, perfectly timed through ball to Tijjani Reijnders, who finished calmly into the near post. The game was tied at 2-2, but surely there wasn’t time for either side to grab a winner?
In steps Pavlovic again, Milan’s massive center back, who played a massive part in Milan’s last-minute third goal. Milan substitute left-back Bartesaghi sent a looping cross into the box towards Pavlovic, who headed it down towards goal. The ball bounced awkwardly off the thigh of Chukwueze, wrong footing the Parma keeper who got a hand to it, but it wasn't enough to keep it out. Milan had stolen the victory at the death, and the San Siro erupted. An incredible ending, but I couldn’t help but feel for struggling Parma who did so well throughout the game and most definitely deserved more. At the end of the day though, that’s soccer. It can be a cruel, cruel game at times.
Chukwueze’s last-minute goal for Milan.
Overall Experience
Overall, seeing a game at the San Siro has been a dream of mine for a long time. Not only that, but we witnessed an absolute thriller with an incredible comeback at the death. Being in Italy for these next 4 months, I want to visit as many new stadiums as I can and see as many games as I can. Not just in Italy, but I’d love to see other games around Europe as well. This was some way to start off my European soccer tour, and it will be hard to beat. For anyone traveling to Milan or Italy in general, the San Siro should be on your bucket list. It’s an unforgettable stadium with an unforgettable atmosphere, at least for soccer-obsessed nerds like myself. Here’s to many more experiences like that as I continue my studies overseas. We Call it Soccer is going global, or maybe just European, but still.
