Monza and Genoa will face off on Saturday evening, both eager to secure their first victory of the Serie A season after drawing their opening matches. Monza played to a goalless draw against Empoli, while Genoa managed a commendable 2-2 draw against defending champions Inter Milan.
This match marks Alessandro Nesta’s first home game in charge of Monza after taking over from Raffaele Palladino, who departed for Fiorentina during the offseason. Monza’s former goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio has also left for Juventus, leaving Semuel Pizzignacco to step in and help the team earn a point in their season opener with some crucial saves.
Despite their solid performance, Monza has struggled to find the back of the net, failing to score in their last four matches, including a penalty shootout victory in the Coppa Italia against Sudtirol. Historically, the team has not gone this long without scoring since their promotion to Serie A in 2022, and they have lost four of their last six home games, a stark contrast to their previous 17 matches.
Genoa, rejuvenated under coach Alberto Gilardino, return to the top flight after securing mid-table safety last season. The Grifone surprised many with their strong performance against Inter, taking an early lead through Alessandro Vogliacco and equalizing late in the game thanks to Junior Messias, who ended a lengthy goal drought.
Team News
In terms of team news, Monza will be without goalkeeper Alessio Cragno, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, and midfielder Jose Machin due to a knee injury. However, Roberto Gagliardini is fit to play and has a strong record against Genoa, having scored five goals against them in Serie A.
Genoa will likely field a consistent lineup, with no new injury concerns. Their new signing Andrea Pinamonti, who has scored 40 Serie A goals in his career, will be looking to make an impact after the departures of Mateo Retegui and Albert Gudmundsson.
Expected Starting XI’s
Monza (3-4-2-1): Pizzignacco; Izzo, Mari, Carboni; Birindelli, Bondo, Pessina, Kyriakopoulos; Maldini, Mota; Petagna
Genoa (3-5-2): Gollini; De Winter, Bani, Vogliacco; Zanoli, Frendrup, Badelj, Malinovskyi, Martin; Messias, Pinamonti
