Driven by revenge, Juventus are looking to overturn a two-match winless Serie A streak as they welcome promoted Monza to the Allianz Stadium on Sunday. Bianconeri fans have had plenty to digest on and especially off the field of late, so Raffaele Palladino’s return to his former stomping ground cannot come soon enough.
In the wake of a morale-damaging 5-1 defeat at high-flying Serie A leaders Napoli, the news of a 15-deduction due to the retired board’s shady deals caught the Turin faithful off guard. Relegated to mid-table, the record-time Italian champions have suffered a subsequent off-the-field blow.
Numerous Juventus supporters canceled their TV sports subscriptions in response to the harsh punishment. Those fans came to regret that decision as they probably missed out on a mouth-watering 3-3 draw against Atalanta last weekend. However, there’s no time for remorses, with Massimiliano Allegri’s team facing an uphill task to climb up the ladder.
What better way to embark on a challenging mission of whittling down a 14-point gap on fourth-placed Inter than exacting revenge on their former midfielder Palladino? The 38-year-old seized a sudden opportunity to soar into senior management with an unexpected 1-0 home win over Juventus on his touchline debut at Monza.
That set the tone for things to come, with Palladino leading top-flight debutants to an eye-catching 21-point tally in his 13 Serie A games in charge. Combined with one point in the opening six league matches under former boss Giovanni Stroppa, Monza boast the most top-flight points (22) picked up by a debutant club in the first half of a season since 2004/05.
Preview
Juventus
Atalanta’s free-scoring display at the Allianz Stadium halted Juventus’ imperious run of five straight home league victories without conceding. Indeed, La Dea’s three-goal tally could be considered an aberration, considering Allegri’s men had let in as many goals against them as they had in their opening nine Serie A home outings this season.
Despite all the off-the-pitch fuss, Juventus have a reputation to maintain and after registering five wins in their last six Serie A encounters against promoted sides, they should be good to go. Ironically, the sole defeat in that stretch came at the hands of Monza, highlighting the anger streaming through I Bianconeri’s veins ahead of this clash.
Player to Watch: Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria has been on a tear since helping Argentina lift the World Cup title in Qatar, scoring in both post-tournament Serie A appearances against Napoli and Atalanta. He’s now on the cusp of netting in three straight league outings for the first time since 2019 with Paris Saint-Germain.
Monza
Following the abovementioned triumph in the reverse fixture, Monza are vying for a standout achievement as they could become the first club since Inter in 1930 to win their maiden two league meetings with Juventus. That could prove easier said than done, given that they had gone winless on four straight Serie A travels (D1, L3) before humbling dead-last Cremonese 3-2 last time out.
A potential win against the odds would see Monza leapfrog their esteemed hosts, but they’re better off flying out of the traps if they’re to achieve that. I Biancorossi have rescued just one point from six away league games in which they’ve conceded the opening goal this season (D1, L5), underlining a genuine lack of character.
Player to Watch: Gianluca Caprari
As one of the rare Monza players to boast significant Serie A experience, Gianluca Caprari is the first name to spring to mind when considering the visitors’ danger man. The Hellas Verona loanee has scored his team’s last three Serie A goals and already has two strikes against Juventus under his belt.
Team News
With captain Leonardo Bonucci on the verge of recovery and Dusan Vlahovic and Paul Pogba already back to full training, Juventus may field their best starting XI for the first time this season. It’s far from a foregone conclusion, though, with Allegri known for his cautious approach when it comes to his injury-troubled stars.
On the other hand, Monza will take this trip without Giulio Donati, while Filippo Ranocchia remains the only high-profile doubt.
Juventus vs Monza Potential Lineups
Juventus (3-5-1-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Gleison Bremer, Alex Sandro; Federico Chiesa, Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli, Fabio Miretti, Filip Kostic; Angel Di Maria; Dusan Vlahovic.
Monza (3-4-2-1): Michele Di Gregorio; Armando Izzo, Luca Caldirola, Marlon; Samuele Birindelli, Mattia Pessina, Stefano Sensi, Carlos Augusto; Gianluca Caprari, Patrick Ciurria; Andrea Petagna.
Juventus vs Monza Prediction
Based on Monza’s heroic 2-2 draw against Inter at the start of January and their recent run of form, they’re likely to give Juventus a run for their money.
However, we envisage a narrow win for the home side.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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