Monza and Bologna will both be desperate to secure their first Serie A victory of the 2024/25 campaign when they face off at the U-Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon. With both teams struggling for form in the early stages, this match presents a golden opportunity to kickstart their seasons.
The hosts Monza enter this fixture in the midst of a concerning 13-match winless streak in Serie A stretching back to last season. Their last league victory came way back on March 16th, with Alessandro Nesta’s side recording six draws and seven defeats during that barren spell.
However, there were some positive signs last weekend as Monza held reigning champions Inter Milan to a creditable 1-1 draw. Dany Mota’s 78th minute strike had the Biancorossi on course for a famous victory, only for Denzel Dumfries to equalize late on for Inter. While disappointed to concede late, the performance will have given Monza confidence they can compete with the league’s top sides.
Nesta has set his team up in a conservative manner so far this season, with Monza attempting fewer shots (24) than any other Serie A side. Only Juventus have faced fewer shots on target against them, highlighting Monza’s solid defensive shape. The hosts will likely employ similar tactics against Bologna as they search for that elusive first win.
Like their opponents, Bologna are still awaiting their first Serie A victory of the season under new manager Vincenzo Italiano. The Rossoblu have drawn three and lost one of their four league fixtures so far, leaving them down in 17th place in the early standings.
Last weekend saw Bologna fight back from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw away at newly-promoted Como. Substitutes Santiago Castro and Samuel Iling-Junior were the heroes for Italiano’s side, netting in the final 20 minutes to salvage a point. While the comeback showed good character, Bologna will be disappointed to have found themselves in that position against a promoted team.
The midweek saw Bologna end a 60-year wait to compete in the Champions League as they hosted Shakhtar Donetsk. A 0-0 draw was the outcome, with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski saving an early Georgiy Sudakov penalty to preserve a clean sheet. While a creditable result, the exertions of that match could impact Bologna’s energy levels for this weekend’s trip to Monza.
This will be just the fifth ever Serie A meeting between Monza and Bologna. The head-to-head record is evenly split so far with one win apiece and two draws. Interestingly, Monza have kept a clean sheet in three of the four previous encounters, highlighting their strong defensive record in this fixture.
Last season saw the sides play out two low-scoring draws – 1-1 at the U-Power Stadium and 0-0 at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. With both teams struggling for goals this term, another tight affair could be on the cards on Sunday.
Team News
The hosts remain without first-choice goalkeeper Alessio Cragno due to a shoulder problem, while wing-back Patrick Ciurria is also sidelined with a knee injury. There are doubts over the fitness of Samuele Vignato, Roberto Gagliardini and Samuele Birindelli.
Veteran striker Milan Djuric is expected to lead the line once again for Monza. However, Dany Mota may have played his way into contention for a starting berth after netting against Inter last weekend. The Portuguese forward could replace either Gianluca Caprari or Daniel Maldini in attack.
Vincenzo Italiano may rotate his side following their midweek Champions League exertions. Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga is pushing for a start up front in place of Santiago Castro.
The visitors have a trio of long-term absentees unavailable. Midfielder Lewis Ferguson is working his way back from an ACL injury but should return next month. Oussama El Azzouzi and Nicolo Cambiaghi face longer spells on the sidelines.
Expected Starting XIs
Monza (3-5-2): Turati; Izzo, Mari, Carboni; Pereira, Bondo, Pessina, Kyriakopoulos; Maldini, Mota; Djuric
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Holm, Casale, Lucumi, Miranda; Pobega, Freuler; Orsolini, Aebischer, Ndoye; Dallinga
Match Prediction
With both sides struggling for form and goals, this has all the makings of a cagey, low-scoring encounter. Monza’s strong defensive record against Bologna coupled with their conservative approach under Nesta points towards a tight game.
Bologna may feel the effects of their midweek European exploits, potentially handing the hosts a slight edge. However, neither side has shown the cutting edge required to secure three points so far this season.
Prediction: Monza 1-1 Bologna
