Monza vs Sassuolo – News and Probable Lineups

After achieving another stunning upset in Serie A last week, Sassuolo will aim for all three points as they take on Monza, who are still searching for their first win, this Friday evening.

Following a remarkable five-goal showdown against Italy’s most decorated club, the Neroverdi now face a newly promoted side.

Match overview

Renowned for their ability to surprise Serie A’s top teams, Sassuolo managed to defeat Juventus just before the final whistle in last week’s encounter at the Mapei Stadium.

Sebastiano Esposito found the net on his debut, but Juventus equalized afterward; Kieron Bowie then came on as a substitute and restored the lead for Sassuolo.

Even though their opponents managed to find another equalizer in stoppage time, Juventus-loanee Vasilije Adzic emerged with a last-minute goal to hand victory over his parent club.

This win compensated for a last-minute equalizer they conceded against Bologna a week prior, moving Sassuolo’s points tally to seven from a possible 12.

Having also advanced to the last 16 of the Coppa Italia, where they will meet Juventus again, the new head coach Alberto Aquilani is off to a solid start in Reggio Emilia.

Nonetheless, leading up to their visit to Monza, the Neroverdi have gone eight away games without a victory, a streak that stretches back to February.

Additionally, Sassuolo has yet to secure a win against their Friday opponents in Serie A, as Monza has garnered 10 points from four encounters thus far.

However, their recent form indicates a potential challenge to maintain this record: the Lombardy side has lost three times and drawn once this season, placing them precariously close to the relegation zone.

In contrast to Sassuolo, the Biancorossi suffered a 3-2 loss last weekend, with a sluggish start in Lecce proving detrimental as they fell behind by two goals within 12 minutes and were forced to chase the game.

Critically, they have struggled defensively, particularly at set pieces against Lecce, and have allowed six goals from set pieces in the league already.

Going back to earlier seasons at Italy’s top tier, Monza has won just once in their last 22 Serie A matches, including their only home game this season, which ended in another 3-2 loss against Udinese.

This situation puts early pressure on head coach Ivan Juric, whose tenure at various clubs over the last couple of years has been less than favorable.

Team News

Despite Esposito making his first start and scoring last week, he will face competition from Bowie for the forward position on Friday night.

Either striker will be supported by the experienced Domenico Berardi, who has been directly involved in 19 goals over his last 21 league appearances against newly promoted teams.

Aquilani’s promising start has been overshadowed by a long injury list: Fali Cande, Edoardo Pieragnolo, and Ismael Kone are long-term unavailable, while Daniel Boloca and Cristian Volpato are currently injured.

Sebastian Walukiewicz is also questionable, and key defender Jay Idzes has recently been ruled out for six weeks due to a quadriceps strain.

On the other hand, Monza will be without their captain Matteo Pessina, Roma loanee Jan Ziolkowski, and wing-back Idrissa Toure; Patrick Ciurria, Cyril Ngonge, and Ricardo Mangas are all considered doubtful.

Positively, Gustavo Varela – the only player for the Biancorossi to score more than one league goal this season – has made a return to the pitch.

Veteran forwards Patrick Cutrone and Dany Mota will be in contention to partner Varela in attack.

Monza probable starting XI:

Tornqvist; Kouadio, Lucchesi, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Folorunsho, Bakoune; Colpani, Robinson; Varela

Sassuolo probable starting XI:

Muric; Cinquegrano, Caleta-Car, Leysen, Doig; Lipani, Matic, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Esposito, Lauriente

After overcoming Juventus, logic indicates that Sassuolo should comfortably defeat last season’s Serie B playoff victors.

Of course, football doesn’t always adhere to logic, but the visitors appear confident and possess a considerably stronger team cohesion than their opponents.