A fearsome battle for a top-four finish in Serie A is approaching its climax as sixth-placed Roma head to the Stadio Brianteo to encounter mid-table Monza. Don’t let the visitors’ current place in the standings confuse you because they finished last round level on points with fourth-placed Inter.
However, Roma’s bid to take home an all-important three points could prove a formidable quest against a high-flying Monza side. After going winless in four straight league matches (D3, L1) between mid-March and early April, Raffaele Palladino’s men have gone into overdrive, stitching together a three-game winning streak, bookended by a 2-0 triumph at Spezia last weekend.
Encouragingly for the home faithful, before dispatching relegation-threatened Aquilotti, Monza stunned Fiorentina and non-other than Roma’s fellow top-four rivals Inter. In doing so, Palladino’s team lent the Giallorossi a helping hand, but they could undo those good deeds by upsetting the odds on Wednesday. Plus, they can benefit from their visitors’ dampened spirits.
When Tammy Abraham broke the deadlock in the 94th minute of Roma’s blockbuster home clash against Milan on Saturday, Jose Mourinho was confident his side would walk away with a crucial victory. Little did he know Alexis Saelemaekers would restore parity in the 97th minute of a dramatic 1-1 draw, denying Roma what would’ve been a potentially season-defining win.
After going winless in back-to-back Serie A matches (D1, L1) for only the second time in 2023, the Giallorossi will be desperate to avoid what could be their second three-match run without winning this term. But achieving that goal will demand Roma to defy their wayward form on hostile turf that’s seen them pick up just one win on their last nine competitive travels (D2, L6).
With Monza rarely giving points away on home soil, Mourinho will have to mastermind his side’s away resurgence in an extraordinarily hostile environment. Not to mention the Biancorossi leading duo, Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani, may even give Palladino’s men prize money to help their beloved Milan gain the upper hand in the top-four run-in.
Match Preview
Monza
Wednesday could be a landmark day for Monza if they can avenge an embarrassing 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture last August. After emerging victorious in three Serie A games on the trot, the Biancorossi could generate a four-game winning streak for the first time in their relatively short top-flight history.
However, Palladino’s lads have developed a habit of rolling over against sides from the capital, losing all three such match-ups in Serie A this season by an aggregate score of 6-0. Monza secured their status as the most successful Serie A debutants of this century by earning 44 points with seven rounds to spare after staging a remarkable comeback to beat Fiorentina in their last home game despite being two goals down.
Player to Watch: Carlos Augusto
The 24-year-old Brazilian returned to the scoresheet with a stoppage-time strike against Spezia last time out, taking his Serie A tally for the season to six goals. Only Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong (eight) has scored more goals among defenders in Europe’s top-five leagues this term.
Roma
Despite their genuine top-four push in Serie A and an even more impressive Europa League campaign, Roma have been the epitome of ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ this season, depending on whether they play at home or on the road. The Giallorossi have failed to pick up points in four of their last six away league matches (W1, D1), emphasizing Mourinho’s concern ahead of this clash.
The visitors’ travel sickness is not the only drawback that has kept Mourinho worried in the lead-up to this trip. Indeed, Roma fell to an underwhelming 2-1 defeat to Cremonese in their most recent Premier League encounter against a promoted side and could now lose two such fixtures in a row for the first time since 2012.
Player to Watch: Tammy Abraham
Following a barren run of form to start the new calendar year, Abraham seems to be rediscovering his scoring touch at the most opportune moment for Roma. The 25-year-old forward has scored twice in his last three Serie A appearances, with the Giallorossi going unbeaten in each of his eight scoring appearances this season (W4, D4).
Team News
Except for the second-string midfielder Marco D’Alessandro, Monza boss Palladino will have the remainder of his bloated squad fit and ready for this midweek fixture.
On the other hand, Roma will take this trip without Rick Karsdorp, Diego Llorente, Chris Smalling, and Georginio Wijnaldum. All of them are still in the treatment room. Nemanja Matic is also unavailable due to a yellow-card suspension, while Marash Kumbulla and Paulo Dybala face a race against time to regain full fitness.
Monza vs Roma Potential Lineups
Monza (3-4-2-1): Michele Di Gregorio; Pablo Mari, Luca Caldirola, Armando Izzo; Patrick Ciurria, Nicolo Rovella, Matteo Pessina, Carlos Augusto; Andrea Colpani, Gianluca Caprari; Andrea Petagna.
Roma (3-4-1-2): Rui Patricio; Gianluca Mancini, Roger Ibanez, Zeki Celik; Nicola Zalewski, Bryan Cristante, Mady Camara, Leonardo Spinazzola; Lorenzo Pellegrini; Paulo Dybala, Tammy Abraham.
Monza vs Roma Prediction
The last time these two sides faced each other, Roma blew Monza out of the water with a three-goal margin triumph. However, a more closely-contested clash could be in store on Wednesday, with Palladino’s side making significant progress in recent weeks.
Prediction: Draw
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |