Monza finds themselves in a rather grim situation as they currently sit at the bottom of the Serie A table at the halfway point of the season, trailing seven points behind safety. It is a cause for concern that 33 out of the last 35 teams in this position after matchday 19 have been relegated, painting a gloomy picture for Monza. Their current form is also worrying, as they are on a five-match losing streak in the Italian top-flight, which is their joint-longest run of consecutive defeats in history.
However, this terrible streak is just part of the story for Monza. Incredibly, they have not tasted victory in their last 11 Serie A matches (with three draws and eight losses). Furthermore, they have only managed to win one out of their most recent 28 league games (with 10 draws and 17 losses). Even that solitary win came away from home, so their chances of securing a second victory this season at the U-Power Stadium seem bleak. Particularly concerning is their recent track record at home, where they have lost their last five league games, all by a one-goal margin.
Fiorentina’s prospects appear much brighter as they approach this round, being just three points away from the top four and having a crucial game in hand. One would expect them to be filled with confidence. However, La Viola has actually been struggling lately, with five winless matches in all competitions (D2, L3). Therefore, a match against bottom-dwelling Monza could provide the perfect opportunity to bounce back.
This is particularly true considering Fiorentina’s impressive record of winning their last seven Serie A matches against teams starting the round at the bottom of the table. What’s more, in the past five encounters, they have managed to keep clean sheets. This suggests that the upcoming clash might be one-sided. Adding an extra layer of intrigue is Fiorentina boss Raffaele Palladino returning to face the club he left in the summer. He will undoubtedly be hoping for a better outcome than the 2-2 draw in the previous encounter. Interestingly, this is the first time in the same season that both league head-to-head matches have ended in a draw.
Players to keep an eye on: Gianluca Caprari has found the back of the net against Fiorentina more times than any other team in Serie A (five goals), with four of them coming before the halftime whistle. Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, on the other hand, will aim to shine in the first half, as he has scored eight out of his 11 league goals this season within the opening 45 minutes.
Interesting fact: Fiorentina is the only team in Serie A that has not conceded a goal in the first 15 minutes of a league match this season.
