Stadio Brianteo forms the backdrop for a revenge-poised Serie A encounter between mid-table Monza and title-bidding Juventus. Friday’s showdown in Lombardy is a potential chance for the visitors to settle the score with Raffaele Palladino’s side and temporarily leapfrog Inter at the league’s summit.
Monza did the unthinkable last season. They sealed an outstanding 2-0 win in this corresponding fixture last January to pull off a league double over Juventus and become only the second side to win their first two Serie A clashes against Bianconeri. In doing so, the then-newcomers shut out Massimiliano Allegri’s team against the odds.
Adding to that tally looks far-fetched, though. It’s been a less impressive start to the season for Monza, even though they commence this round sitting ninth in the standings, only three points off the European spots. Only three wins in their last 11 outings (D6, L2) paint a bleak picture, but Biancorossi can draw confidence from going unbeaten in four consecutive Serie A matches (W1, D3 since late October.
Juventus will be out to repay the favor to Monza and return to the win column after sharing the spoils with Inter last weekend. Dusan Vlahovic was back on the scoresheet for the first time since September, but it was only enough for a draw as the league leaders fought back through Lautaro Martinez.
A 1-1 stalemate in the famous Derby d’Italia marked the end of the Turin heavyweights’ five-match winning streak in the top flight, leaving them two points adrift of Inter. But heavily motivated to post their first-ever Serie A triumph against Monza, Juventus head into proceedings having racked up back-to-back wins on the road, beating Milan and Fiorentina via the same 1-0 scoreline.
Match Preview
Monza
Much of Monza’s bid to upset the apple cart will depend on their defensive resilience. With only three sides bettering their tally of 12 goals conceded, the hosts have legitimate chances of registering a third Serie A shutout against Juventus. Even if they fail to keep a clean sheet, Palladino’s team can still contain the damage.
They’ve not capitulated more than once in their last ten league games, not to mention they’ve only conceded three goals at the Brinateo in 2023/24. Therefore, it’s unsurprising they come into this round as one of only two Serie A clubs yet to lose a home league encounter this season (W2, D4).
Player to Watch: Andrea Colpani
Colpani’s making significant strides in Serie A this season. With six goals, he’s Monza’s top goalscorer, while his goal helped Biancorossi to a 1-1 draw against Torino in their last home outing.
Juventus
Like their hosts, Juventus have been a textbook definition of a water-tight defense this term. Only Inter (7) have conceded fewer goals than them (8). Though four of those goals came on the road, it’s worth noting Allegri’s men have kept five clean sheets on six Serie A travels, barring a 4-2 defeat at Sassuolo in September.
Scoring has emerged as a glaring issue, though. After netting 2+ goals on their first three league trips, Juventus have averaged just 0.66 per game in their last three away matches. But they could still hope for a quick-fire start, considering six of their nine most recent away goals have arrived before halftime.
Player to Watch: Federico Chiesa
It’s been two months since Chiesa last scored a goal in Serie A. To his credit, he set up Vlahovic on a plate against Inter and scored a winning goal in Juventus’ 2-1 win against Monza in last season’s Coppa Italia.
Team News
Significantly weakened by injuries, Monza will be without Armando Izzo, Gianluca Caprari, and Samuele Vignato, while Valentin Carboni remains a minor doubt. Papu Gomez is not in contention due to suspension.
As for Juventus, Mattia De Sciglio and Timothy Weah are out injured, while notoriously suspended Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli won’t return to the fold soon.
Monza vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Monza (3-4-3): Di Gregorio; D’Ambrosio, Pablo Mari, Caldirola; Ciurria, Gagliardini, Pessina, Kyriakopoulos; Colpani, Colombo, Dany Mota.
Juventus (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Rugani; Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Vlahovic, Chiesa
Monza vs Juventus Prediction
This showdown has a low-scoring theme written all over it. Both sides rely on their defenses to get results, meaning one goal would likely decide the winner. But a 0-0 stalemate wouldn’t surprise us.
Prediction: Draw
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