TIME MACHINE: AC MILAN v PARMA | OneFootball

Carlos Cuesta's Parma will be the visitors to San Siro on matchday 26, and the mind can't help but wander back to the 1990s and the early years of the new millennium. AC Milan were enjoying huge success domestically and abroad, while Parma were living through the most glorious period in their history, lifting three Coppa Italia titles and establishing themselves as a genuine force in Europe, with two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and a Cup Winners' Cup. Our time machine doesn't quite take us back that far, but to an encounter not long afterwards. We roll the clock back 20 years to 8 January 2006.

AC Milan came into the match having won every single home game in that Serie A campaign, while Parma had yet to pick up three points away from the Tardini. And yet it was Parma who struck first, Paolo Cannavaro opening the scoring in the 24th minute. The lead lasted all of three minutes: Kaká burst forward on the left and played in a dangerous ball that Cardone put into his own net. 60 seconds later, again down the same side, Shevchenko - wearing the captain's armband with Maldini sidelined through injury - lifted his head and picked out Gilardino in the box, who had arrived that very season from Parma after two campaigns where he'd scored more than 50 goals. The cross, delicately done with the outside of his boot, was so reminiscent of a certain current Rossoneri midfielder that it could almost be described as à la Modrić. Gilardino met it with his head to net his twelfth league goal of the season and complete the turnaround.

Sheva tried to add a third before the break, only to be denied by Couto's head. The ball, though, fell kindly to Kaká, who always knew exactly what to do in those situations. He hit it first time with the inside of his foot, finding the corner: 3-1. In the second half, Parma's Marchionni would bag a brace, which would even have been enough to earn a point had the 2004 Ballon d'Or winner not deservedly added his name to the scoresheet in between. This time the assist came from Rui Costa, on for Kaká: the Portuguese man produced some nice footwork down the right before playing a delightful low cross to the near post, irresistible for such a prolific striker. It ended 4-3.

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