Walls are closing in on Paulo Fonseca as his underperforming Milan side heads to Stadio Brianteo to meet Monza on Saturday evening. Despite the Portuguese manager’s false confidence in public appearances, this fixture has all the makings of a must-win affair.
There are plenty of subplots here. In addition to former Milan CEO Adriano Galliani overseeing business at Monza, ex-Rossoneri center-back Alessandro Nesta is in the dugout. However, like Fonseca, the 48-year-old’s future at the Bianconeri is hanging by a thread.
Monza fared reasonably well against Atalanta in midweek Serie A action. But their spirited performance was in vain as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team ran out 2-0 victors at the Gewiss Stadium, leaving Nesta’s struggling side agonizingly close to the relegation zone.
Indeed, only goal difference separates Monza from 18th-placed Venezia at the start of this round. That’s a far cry from back-to-back mid-table finishes in their first two top-flight campaigns in the last two years. Visiting Milan are in an equally rough spot.
Following a disheartening 2-0 derby loss to Napoli on Tuesday, last season’s Serie A runners-up fell a whopping 11 points below the table’s summit, albeit with a game in hand on Antonio Conte’s high-flyers. There’s still enough time for Milan to regain a foothold in the title race.
Yet, they’ll likely have to launch a substantial winning streak to close the gap, starting tomorrow.
Match Preview
Monza
Except for a thumping 3-0 away win against Hellas Verona in mid-October, Monza have gone winless in all nine remaining league outings this season (D5, L4). Furthermore, they’re one of only four Serie A teams yet to post a home win this season (D3, L2).
However, outperforming an underdog tag has become a trait often associated with Nesta’s men. Before losing at Atalanta, they had avoided defeat in five consecutive matches against pre-match favorites (W1, D4). That bodes well as they aim to beat Milan against the odds.
Monza achieved that feat last season, pulling off a remarkable 4-2 win under Raffaele Palladino in February. Though they’ve been below that level this season, home draws against Inter and Roma demonstrate their capability of going toe-to-toe with more highly esteemed sides.
That said, slow starts could be Monza’s scourge on Saturday. Prone to conceding first, the hosts have allowed their opponents to draw first blood in four of their five home league matches this term.
Milan
Fonseca must stem the bleeding at the Brianteo. Otherwise, this could prove his last game in charge of Milan despite his plead for patience behind the scenes. It’s been ‘one step forward, two steps back’ for the visitors this season.
The last Milan manager to oversee such a disappointing Serie A start was Marco Gianpaolo in 2019/20. The Rossoneri sacked him after only seven matches. Fonseca could experience a similar fate unless he finds a cure for Milan’s travel sickness.
Milan defeated arch-rivals Inter 2-1 in September’s Derby della Madonnina as nominal visitors. However, they’ve yet to triumph outside Stadio San Siro this season (D1, L3). That’s an ominous pattern, especially considering two of those three losses came in Serie A against Fiorentina and Parma.
A lack of defensive resilience on the road has seen Milan concede precisely two goals in all three league games on hostile turf under Fonseca. Therefore, writings are on the wall.
Team News
Nesta cannot rely on the services of Patrick Ciurria, Samuele Birindelli, Alessio Cragno, and Stefano Sensi through injury. Andrea Petagna and Roberto Gagliardini are also in doubt. Both players have been struggling with fitness problems in recent days.
On the other hand, Milan will take this trip without Matteo Gabbia, Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi, and Tammy Abraham. However, Fonseca will welcome Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders back from suspension. They were unavailable on Tuesday.
Monza vs Milan Potential Starting Line-ups
Monza (3-4-2-1): Stefano Turati; Armando Izzo, Pablo Mari, Andrea Carboni; Pedro Pereira, Matteo Pessina, Warren Bondo, Giorgos Kyriakopoulos; Dany Mota, Daniel Maldini; Milan Djuric.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Emerson Royal, Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw, Theo Hernandez; Youssouf Fofana, Tijjani Reijnders; Samuel Chukwueze, Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao; Alvaro Morata.
Monza vs Milan Prediction
Fonseca’s stint at Milan has reached a ‘make or break’ point. Monza’s underwhelming form under Nesta should facilitate the visitors’ road to their first away win this season. However, this won’t be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination.
Prediction: Milan to Win
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