Relegation contenders AC Monza take on a title-chasing Napoli side, with the latter eager to keep their foothold in the title race with Inter Milan.
Alessandro Nesta has had two spells with AC Monza this season alone, as the Italian legend returned to the helm in February, having been sacked from his role around December. Even his return to the hot seat has failed to turn around the team’s fortunes, as Monza seem destined for the drop in a matter of weeks from now, with Napoli up next for them.
Monza went away to face fellow relegation battlers Venezia and returned home empty-handed. A Daniel Fila goal midway through the second half was enough for Venezia to secure all three points, and give themselves a boost in their quest to survive relegation, as they are only two points off 17th-placed Lecce.
As for Monza, that was extended their winless run in Serie A to 12 games, and some 11 points off safety at the moment. With the number of games still pending, Nesta’s side does have a mathematical side, but rational thinking would state they are all but relegated and are only waiting for the official confirmation in a few weeks. Monza now host title-chasing Napoli, against whom they have scored at least twice at home since their return to the top flight in 2022.
Antonio Conte will demand absolute focus from his players in the games that remain this season. Last weekend, they demolished Empoli with a 3-0 scoreline to maintain their three-point gap over title rivals Inter Milan at the top of the Serie A standings.
Conte will demand a big victory at the weekend against Monza, knowing there is a chance for Inter Milan to drop points against top-four chasing Bologna on Sunday. Napoli will also hope the Nerazzuri are tired from their Champions League excursions in midweek, and their progression in that competition could probably give Conte’s side some edge in the latter stages of the season.
Against Empoli, Scott McTominay was the hero as he scored his brace with those goals coming from either side of a Romelu Lukaku side. As for Napoli’s chances in the Scudetto race, Conte will see the remaining fixtures as winnable with only those games against Torino and Genoa could be considered a bit difficult comparatively. As for Inter Milan, they still have a fair few tough fixtures to go, which could play into Napoli’s hands.
Team News & Tactics
AC Monza
Some key figures are missing from action with Keita Balde and Matteo Pessina as well as Danilo D’Ambrosio and Armando Izzo.
Dany Mota could be the preferred player to replace the latter, as he could lead the line for Monza up front. One of Gianluca Caprari or Silvere Ganvoula should start up front alongside Mota, as Nesta will continue with the 3-5-2 shape ahead of the weekend.
Alessandro Bianco will sit at the base of their midfield with Patrick Ciurria and Jean-Daniel Akpro on either side of him. Pedro Pereira, Luca Caldirola and Tomas Palacios are the preferred personnel in that back three, with Samuele Birindelli and Georgios Kyriakopoulos featuring in the wing-back roles.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Turati; Pereira, Caldirola, Palacios; Birindelli, Ciurria, Bianco, Akpro, Kyriakopoulos; Mota, Capriari
Napoli
As for Napoli, there are a few defensive injuries for Antonio Conte to deal with, with Alessandro Buongiorno and Juan Jesus out of contention for the time being. On the positives, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Di Lorenzo are available again after serving their suspensions.
Anguissa will come straight into the midfield by replacing Billy Gilmour there, while Pasquale Mazzocchi will make way for Di Lorenzo’s inclusion in the lineup at right back. Stanislav Lobotka and Scott McTominay will take up the other two positions in. midfield.
Amir Rrahmani will have Rafa Marin as his centre-back partner at the heart of the defence. Conte will continue with his familiar front three setup featuring Matteo Politano and David Neres on the wings, with Lukaku leading the line for Napoli.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Neres
Key Stats
- AC Monza are winless in their last 12 Serie A games.
- Monza have scored at least two goals in each of their home games against Napoli since their return to Serie A in 2022.
- Napoli are undefeated in their last six matches in Serie A.
- Napoli have only one victory in their last five Serie A away games.
Player to Watch
Scott McTominay
Antonio Conte will want a catalyst that helps his team get going in games, and McTominay might be that player. The Scottish midfielder has already proved his worth, as he’s the only midfielder who has scored five times this season when the scores have been 0-0 in Serie A.
Monday’s brace against Empoli might be looked down considering where the opposition side are in the table, but it was very crucial in the aspect of the title race and giving Napoli the required momentum. With Conte’s side looking forward to a more favourable end-of-the-season run-in, McTominay could find a lot of joy in scoring goals starting with this clash against Monza.
Prediction
AC Monza 1-3 Napoli
Monza have struggled for goals this season, and their good record in putting the ball in the back of the net is why we are giving them a chance to do that again. Otherwise, Napoli would ideally keep a clean sheet, although they are missing key man Alessandro Buongiorno for this clash.
Napoli are looking to build further momentum in the title race, and this could be a handy clash for them to do so. Antonio Conte will want absolute perfection from his players and take full advantage of the opposition’s pressure-induced situation, and Napoli are expected to take a big win and close down Inter Milan in the title race.
