Monza host Napoli at the weekend with both teams looking to finish the remainder of the season strongly. Napoli have the chance to strengthen their chances of European qualification against a Monza side who are comfortable in mid-table.
Date: 07/04/2024
Location: Stadio Brianteo
Kick-off: 14:00 pm
AC Monza are enjoying life in Serie A being a stable outfit within the division. The club were promoted from Serie B in 2022 for the first time in their history. Before their promotion, Monza had competed for 40 seasons in the second tier of Italian Football; the most of any side without ever being promoted.
During their debut season, it was a resounding success. Monza finished 11th under head coach Raffaele Palladino with a respectable 52 points. That points tally was the highest amongst newly promoted sides across Europe’s top five leagues and the second-highest point tally for a Serie A debut in history.
This season Monza are set to record another finish outside the relegation places and once again finish mid-table. The hosts for this game are once again 11th after 30 games played in Serie A this season. Palladino’s side have obtained 42 points from those 30 games, which averages to 1.4 points per game gained.
Monza have eight games left to possibly better their tally of last season and to do so they would need 13 points from the remaining 24 points currently available. Their attacking and defensive output is what you would expect from a mid-table side. Monza have scored 32 goals in 30 games – averaging 1.06 goals per game. Defensively, they have conceded slightly more with 37 – which averages at 1.23 goals conceded per game.
Monza could throw themselves into the hunt for a potential European place with a win over Napoli. The home side are only four points adrift from Lazio in seventh place and could move within a point if results go their way. Three points also separate Napoli and Monza for this game but Napoli will still have the goal difference advantage over Monza regardless.
The reigning champions Napoli have endured a disappointing campaign in defence of their title. Rudi Garcia was brought in to replace Luciano Spalletti who failed to achieve the same heights previously and was dismissed. Napoli then replaced him with current Slovakia manager Francesco Calzona, who also had spells with Napoli as an assistant manager and technical coach.
Napoli’s disappointing campaign is shown by the fact they are currently in eighth place and 31 points adrift of the team that will take their title in Inter Milan. Calzona’s men are a point behind Lazio in the hunt for European places. Although with UEFA’s new system regarding coefficient ranking, it remains to be seen whether Italy are awarded the extra European place.
Napoli last season ended their title-winning campaign on four losses and this season they already have over double that with eight games to go. Their overall form reads that they have 12 wins, nine losses and nine draws in 30 games.
The reigning champions have obtained 45 points so far, his season – which gives them an average of 1.5 points per game. 44 goals scored throughout the season, gives them an almost identical average to their points gained. Following the sale of Kim Min Jae in the summer, their defence has suffered having conceded eight more goals at this stage than they did in the entirety.
Monza’s record against Napoli is even across the board with both teams winning once against each other and drawing the remaining one. The 0-0 draw between the two sides took place in December. Napoli won the first encounter 4-0 with Monza securing a 2-0 at the end of last season.
Serie A 
