Milan Vs Parma: milan vs parma preview, result and fallout

milan vs parma unfolded with consequences for AC Milan’s title bid and fresh injury concerns after the fixture at San Siro. The build-up, the match and the post-match reaction are all detailed below, alongside pre-match team news and managerial comments.

By Jonathan O'Shea | 20 Feb 2026 17: 13, Last updated: 22 Feb 2026 11: 46

Milan Vs Parma match report

AC Milan slumped to a surprise 1-0 home loss to Parma on Sunday when Parma defender Mariano Troilo scored a late header. The goal, which followed a lengthy VAR review, was initially disallowed because of a foul by Lautaro Valenti on goalkeeper Mike Maignan but the referee overturned that decision and the header stood. The defeat left Milan’s title race position weakened: earlier in the week a midweek draw with Como had left Milan seven points behind city rivals Inter, and Inter’s win at Lecce extended the gap to 10 points, albeit with Milan holding a game in hand.

Sequence of events and VAR decision

The encounter at San Siro came after an earlier reverse fixture in which Milan won 3-1 last month. Milan had chances in the first half: in the 36th minute Alexis Saelemaekers found Christian Pulisic, whose shot was kept out by Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi, and Pulisic fired narrowly wide on the stroke of half-time. Parma caught Milan cold in the 80th minute when Mariano Troilo headed home the decisive goal. The scoreline completed a week in which Milan had also dropped points in a draw with Como earlier in the midweek round.

Injuries and absences

Milan lost Matteo Gabbia to a muscle problem in the warm-up. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was stretchered off with a head injury after a collision with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi; he was carried from the field wearing a neck brace. Italian media said Loftus-Cheek would need dental treatment and would undergo tests in hospital for possible head trauma. Prior to the match Strahinja Pavlovic had been withdrawn against Como and may miss out due to injury, while elsewhere he was listed on the bench after a knock to the ankle. Santiago Gimenez remained an absentee for Milan.

Team news and selections

With Massimiliano Allegri suspended and serving a touchline ban, assistant coach Marco Landucci took charge on the touchline. Milan could welcome Adrien Rabiot back from suspension after his ban expired; Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Alexis Saelemaekers had recently returned to fitness. Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao were listed among the joint-top scorers for Milan, and Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Fullkrug were also in contention for attacking places. Ruben Loftus-Cheek had been named in a starting XI prior to his injury; at times Ruben Loftus-Cheek has also linked up as a lone striker.

Parma’s form and context

Parma arrive firmly on course for top-flight survival under Carlos Cuesta, sitting 12th with 29 points — their best tally at this stage of a Serie A season since 2020 — and on course for a third straight year in Italy’s top flight. Parma had enjoyed a slightly fortunate 1-0 win in Bologna, and then beat 10-man opponents again last weekend when Mateo Pellegrino’s late headed goal secured victory over Hellas Verona; in that match Parma were one man down for almost 80 minutes at the Stadio Tardini. The club have benefited from a league-high seven red cards for opposition players and have conceded at least once in 22 straight games against Milan. They have suffered just four defeats from 12 away fixtures.

Landucci on the match and Leao

Marco Landucci, standing in for the suspended Allegri, said: "We are not happy, obviously. Parma played very well and the ball just didn't want to go in for us tonight. We wanted the three points, so of course we feel let down, but we go again. " He also urged focus on Milan’s own campaign: "We don’t have to look at what anyone else is doing, we’ve just got to focus on our own journey, and today is a difficult game. We must have our usual attitude and at the final whistle see where we are. " On Rafael Leao he added: "Leao is doing better, and if he is starting tonight, it means he is in good shape. We believe he can play as a striker perfectly well and has already scored eight goals this season. " Landucci also stressed the importance of substitutes: "Substitutions are fundamental also for the final result, so we have options off the bench. " He praised Luka Modric, noting the midfielder is 41 and describing him as humble and eager to work hard.

The match also carried an odd scheduling footnote: the fixture had once been set to take place in Australia because San Siro is due to host the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, but the game was ultimately played in Italy’s second city. Milan had been undefeated in 24 league matches prior to this defeat and had the chance to extend that run to 25, a sequence only bettered by their 34-match run in 1991-92; they had been on 54 points after the midweek draw with Como and had secured 25 points from 36 on offer across a dozen home fixtures, while winning eight of their last 10 meetings with Parma at San Siro.

Napoli’s wider reaction to refereeing featured elsewhere in the weekend’s action, with Napoli criticising officiating after a 2-1 loss at Atalanta; Napoli sit third and were 14 points adrift of Inter, five points above Atalanta. Atalanta remain seventh, two points behind fourth-placed Roma, who were due to host Cremonese later on Sunday. Raffaele Palladino's side extended an unbeaten run in the league to nine matches with a second-half fightback.

Closing: Milan must now regroup after the 1-0 loss to Parma, manage injury concerns including that to Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and press on in a title race where results elsewhere have increased the gap to Inter.