To say the opening quarter of this clash was a non-event would be an understatement, as little goalmouth action hinted at a long afternoon for the neutral.
But almost immediately after that mark, Parma sparked the game into life in scintillating fashion. Matteo Cancellieri was afforded too much time and space as he drove towards goal, and he stepped inside onto his left foot and curled a sumptuous effort into the bottom corner.
That perhaps served as the wake-up call Milan needed as they had the ball in the net themselves moments later through Álvaro Morata, but the Spanish frontman had strayed offside.
They were gift-wrapped an opportunity to get back into the game 10 minutes before HT though, when a peculiar penalty, which was awarded after goalkeeper Zion Suzuki pushed Strahinja Pavlović over in the area, was put away in clinical fashion by Christian Pulisic.
Conceição still decided he’d seen enough at half time and made a double substitution which sparked controversy as Rafael Leão was one of the players withdrawn.
Those changes didn’t have too much impact on his side’s performance levels though, and they were lucky not to fall behind for a second time when Hernani’s 35-yard drive whistled inches over the bar.
Considering Milan were heavy favourites to claim the three points before kick-off, it was Parma doing all the running for a winning goal. They can count themselves a little unlucky that they didn’t edge back ahead 20 minutes from time too, with Pontus Almqvist racing through on goal but being denied by the on-rushing Mike Maignan.
That was only a temporary reprieve for the decorated hosts, who were left shell-shocked when Maignan again performed heroically to deny Drissa Camara, but he was powerless to deny Enrico Del Prato prodding home the rebound.
Milan were never likely to take that lying down, and they thought they’d snatched a late leveller when Pavlović popped up at the back post to head home what he thought was an equaliser, only for VAR to confirm the centre-back had strayed offside before scoring.
The Rossoneri threw the kitchen sink at Parma in the closing stages, and their leveller arrived in the second minute of stoppage time when Tijjani Reijnders ghosted into the area to turn home a goal that set up a grandstand finish.
There was still time for one crazy twist though, as with almost the last kick of the game, one of Conceição’s earlier substitutes, Samuel Chukwueze, popped up in the area to turn home Pavlović’s knockdown and secure three huge points in their battle to close the gap on the European places.