Monza vs. Roma – Serie A: Match Preview & Predicted Lineups

The Giallorossi hope to make it three league wins in a row when they square off against Alessandro Nesta’s men this weekend.

Fresh off their midweek Europa League defeat, Roma look to bounce back against bottom-of-the-table Monza at the Stadio Brianteo.

Nearly two weeks since the departure of Daniele De Rossi, the Giallorossi have won both their league games under new manager Ivan Jurić. The hosts, meanwhile, will be desperate for a result since they remain winless on the season.

Kick-off is slated for Sunday evening at 18.00 CET in Lombardia.

Roma

Entering their third week with Ivan Jurić on the bench, Roma have a chance to extend their league winning streak to three on Sunday.

Coming off a late win over Venezia, the Giallorossi suffered a setback on Thursday when they fell flat in their 1-0 defeat against Elfsborg. The capital club’s wastefulness was on full display, as they failed to score a goal despite numerous opportunities.

“I expect a tough match tomorrow. I saw Monza play Inter and they made a great impression on me. They don’t deserve to be where they are in the table,” Jurić told media members on Saturday.

“The players are very focused, and I see a lot of progress how they’re adapting to my ideas. That’s why I say that on Thursday, regardless of the result, I liked how the team played.”

He added, “In Sweden we had at least six goal-scoring opportunities. We made mistakes in the final meters, and we have to work to improve there. It takes quality but also spatial conception and body positioning.”

“I like what the team is doing. Thursday’s rotation was meant to let everyone play and see if we can count on the new players.”

Eyeing their third consecutive league win, the Giallorossi will have to overcome their roads woes on Sunday. The capital club have won just once in their last 9 away fixtures in Serie A—their sole win occurring against Udinese in April.

To make matters worse, they’ll be forced to deal with they absence of star-man Paulo Dybala. The attacker has been ruled out for the match after he tweaked his hamstring during the team’s final training session on Saturday.

They’ll also be forced to deal with the absence of star-man Paulo Dybala, who tweaked his hamstring during the team’s final training session on Saturday. In his place, Jurić is likely to rely on summer signing Matias Soule.

Monza

Sitting last in Serie A, Monza are desperate to earn a result against the visitors.

The Biancorossi are still winless on the season and have lost their last two games in Serie A. However, despite their struggles, manager Alessandro Nesta isn’t ready to panic yet.

“We’ll give Roma everything we’ve got tomorrow,” stated Nesta during his pre-match press conference.

“We’ve had a chance to analyse how they played—it’s a team that presses intensely and is starting to form their identity. It’s an important match only for the standings regardless of who we face.

Finally, “We have to send a signal that we are still alive. We will need to be clear-headed because the victory would give us a lot.”

In team news, Nesta is still missing a host of veterans including midfield duo Stefano Sensi and Roberto Gagliardini while striker Andrea Petagna is a question mark.

Meanwhile, former Roma man Gianluca Caprari is expected to start against his former side—joining Ganiel Maldini and Milan Djuric in attack.

Predicted Lineups

MONZA (3-4-2-1): Turati; Izzo, Marì, Carboni; Pereira, Pessina, Bianco, Kyriakopoulos; Maldini, Caprari; Djuric

Unavailable: Alessio Cragno, Stefano Sensi, Roberto Gagliardini, Samuele Vignato

ROMA (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Angeliño; Celik, Koné, Cristante, El Shaarawy; Soulé, Pellegrini; Dovbyk

Unavailable: Alexis Saelemaekers, Paulo Dybala, Mats Hummels