Monza vs Napoli – News and Probable Lineups

Following an impressive tally of seven goals scored over the last two fixtures, Napoli seeks to capitalize on their newly discovered offensive strength as they travel to Monza for a Serie A encounter on Wednesday night.

In their previous match, the Partenopei were unable to secure consecutive victories, as they drew with Roma in a thrilling Derby del Sole, leaving them stuck in the middle of the table.

Match overview

Napoli has experienced a busy few days, having played through a dramatic seven-goal encounter against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League before facing their southern rivals, Roma, in Naples on Saturday.

Scott McTominay’s two goals played a crucial role in their victory over Bodo, and he found the back of the net twice again at Stadio Maradona, but the hosts faltered, allowing leads of 2-0 and then 3-2 to slip away.

Max Allegri was under pressure after a shaky start to his management and was dismissed for dissent as the frantic 3-3 match came to an end, meaning he now faces a touchline ban this coming week.

Earlier this month, Allegri’s side suffered defeats to Villarreal and a pointless Venezia in just four days, highlighting the urgency for him to secure positive results to silence the critics.

Despite having been champions and runners-up in the last two seasons, Napoli currently stands at 10th position in Serie A after eight matches – while it’s still early in the season, they find themselves seven points behind the top four.

This means the Campanian team is eager to break their two-month winless run away from home as they head north this Wednesday.

McTominay netted the only goal during Monza’s last match against Napoli when they hosted them in April 2025; since then, the Brianzoli were relegated before being immediately promoted back to Serie A.

New head coach Ivan Juric had a shaky start but recently, results seem to have improved: his squad reached the last 16 of the Coppa Italia and clinched two victories in their last four league matches.

Gustavo Varela, a breakout star, scored twice in last Monday’s emphatic 4-0 win over Cagliari, although his seventh goal of the season could not prevent a defeat on Friday night.

Despite Varela equalizing shortly after half time, Monza succumbed to a 3-2 defeat against a well-performing Torino, extending their struggle for an away win – they have managed to pick up only one point away from home.

Conversely, they have gathered six points out of a possible nine at home, indicating that Napoli needs to remain cautious.

Team News

To add to Napoli’s list of absentees, Benoit Badiashile left the field due to a muscle issue at the weekend, potentially sidelining the French defender for three quick away fixtures – against Monza, Porto, and Juventus.

Allegri was already missing Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli, and Alisson Santos, while Amir Rrahmani missed the draw with Roma because of an illness.

Rrahmani is expected to return for midweek action, filling in for Badiashile alongside Rafa Marin in central defence.

While Kevin De Bruyne leads Napoli’s scoring chart with three goals so far, Varela has already struck seven times and is joint-top in the Capocannoniere standings.

For comparative context, the only Monza player who has scored more in a whole top-flight season is Andrea Colpani, who recorded eight goals across 38 appearances in 2023-24.

Roma loanee Jan Ziolkowski and captain Matteo Pessina are both sidelined with injuries, and Yvan Maye remains a doubt.

Monza probable starting XI:

Tornqvist; Kouadio, Goglichidze, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Ondoa, Mangas; Folorunsho, Robinson; Varela

Napoli probable starting XI:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Marin, Rrahmani, Olivera; Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Politano, Vergara; Hojlund

For some time now, Napoli has struggled to assert themselves in away matches, while Monza performs much better when playing at home.

However, the Partenopei have begun to find their footing in the attacking third, suggesting they could score at least twice to secure maximum points.