Juventus aim to get back into the top four after a blip in their quest on Wednesday as they face relegation-bound side Monza.
Serie A fixtures scheduled for last Monday were officially postponed following the Pope’s demise, which did affect Juventus’s game with Parma. The Bianconeri were under pressure coming into that game as Bologna had won their fixture against Inter Milan and moved inside the top four places.
Igor Tudor’s men produced a dismal performance against Parma, as a Mateo Pellegrino goal right before the halftime whistle set things back for Juventus. Juventus enter the latest matchday a point behind Bologna, and given the number of games left to play, another set of dropped points will be lethal for the Bianconeri’s hopes to qualify for the Champions League as they get set to take on AC Monza.
Meanwhile, Juventus are seen as one of the favourites to finish in the top four places given the chance they have with the remaining fixtures. After this game with Monza, the Bianconeri will travel to Bologna, their direct rivals for the fourth spot, as well as Lazio, who are currently level on points with Tudor’s men. Securing wins in both those games will more or less guarantee the fourth spot, but dropping points there will probably end their hopes altogether.
Meanwhile, Monza will be under pressure to deliver in this clash against Juventus, as this might be their last lingering hope to mathematically stay in the hunt for survival. We have to go back to mid-January for Monza’s last victory in Serie A, as they have not won a game in 12 attempts now.
There have been some good performances in this dismal run including a 3-2 loss to Inter Milan. Manager Alessandro Nesta will hope to end the campaign on a high note with a solid enough performance against Juventus, as the likelihood of Monza staying up look slim at this stage.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Long-term absentees Juan Cabal, Arkadiusz Milik and Gleison Bremer are joined by Samuel Mbangula and Federico Gatti in the Juventus treatment room, as the duo will not part take in proceedings against Monza. The big worry for Igor Tudor is the potential absence of key striker Dusan Vlahovic, who went off with a thigh problem against Parma.
Randal Kolo Muani did start alongside the in-demand Serb for the first time on Wednesday without making any real impact. The Frenchman is not seen as a starter for the new manager, but given the circumstances, Kolo Muani will lead the line in Vlahovic’s absence on Sunday.
Elsewhere, there are not many changes expected although Andrea Cambiaso might come into the picture, while Kenan Yildiz should be fit to start this game.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Veiga, Kelly; McKennie, Licatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Gonzales, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
AC Monza
Monza are missing Keita Balde, Danilo D’Ambrosio, Armando Izzo as well as as Matteo Pessina. Silvere Ganvoula or Gianluca Caprari should come in for Balde, with Dany Mota in their misfiring attack.
Alessandro Nesta will continue with a back three of Pedro Pereira, Luca Caldirola, and Andrea Carboni. Samuele Birindelli and Georgios Kyriakopoulos will feature in the wing-back roles.
Nesta stationing a midfield three of Gaetano Castrovilli, Alessandro Bianco, and Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro. As mentioned before, Mota and Caprari will be leading the line for Monza vs Juventus.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2) – Turati; Pereira, Caldirola, Carboni; Birindelli, Castrovilli, Bianco, Akpro, Kyriakopoulos; Mota, Caprari
Key Stats
- Juventus have won their last three matches against Monza in all competitions.
- Juventus are only one point behind fourth-placed Bologna.
- Monza have lost seven of their last eight matches in Serie A.
- Monza’s relegation will be confirmed if they lose and Lecce wins their game.
Player to Watch
Randal Kolo Muani
There is a big conundrum for Tudor to select his starting striker, although he has been clear that Vlahovic leads the line for this Juventus side. However, the Serb’s absence against Monza will present Kolo Muani with an opportunity to impress the new manager and stake a permanent claim to the No.9 spot for the remainder of the season.
Kolo Muani has big pressure on his shoulders not only to perform but also to get the team into the top four places. A solid display against AC Monza will help and the level of the opposition also allows him to make a big impact.
Prediction
Juventus 2-0 Monza
Alessandro Nesta’s side have struggled to score and that might be the case when they visit Turin on Sunday. The relegation-threatened side are on the verge of dropping down, and it is only a matter of time before things are confirmed. While there will be pressure on this Monza side to finish on a high note, they might succumb to the pressure against Juventus.
Meanwhile, Igor Tudor was brought into this team in mid-season to finish in the top four, and he is close to achieving that. There are challenges, but the Bianconeri should position themselves strongly in this race, as they will win this clash against Monza before facing their direct rivals like Bologna and Lazio.
