Still without a Serie A success this season, Monza aim to end their wait for a win on Thursday, when they host Brescia in the Coppa Italia.
While Alessandro Nesta's side are struggling in the top flight, their visitors are inside Serie B's top six and will hope to push for promotion over the months ahead.
Match preview
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Monza have only three points on the board from five rounds of Serie A action so far, following last week's 2-1 home loss to Bologna, with their third year in Italy's top flight getting off to a worryingly slow start.
Comfortable mid-table finishers in both of the past two seasons, the Biancorossi sit 18th at this early stage of proceedings, leaving new boss Alessandro Nesta under pressure to produce a turnaround.
The 2006 World Cup winner enjoyed his most impressive result earlier this month, when holding Scudetto holders Inter Milan to a 1-1 draw in a game that Monza came within minutes of pulling off a major upset.
However, after losing again last week, they approach this cup contest still seeking a first win since beating Sudtirol on penalties in the Coppa Italia's opening round, all the way back in early August.
After tackling Brescia in their third straight home game, Nesta's side will visit Napoli this weekend, ahead of hosting Roma just before the international break; therefore, Thursday's tie offers by far the best chance to end their drought.
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Brescia's most recent meeting with Monza came in the promotion playoffs of 2022, when the latter won both games 2-1 before triumphing in the final.
Last season, the Rondinelle missed out again, losing to Catanzaro, and their wait for a return to the top flight goes on. It is not an unfamiliar feeling for fans, as their club hold the records both for consecutive and overall participations in Serie B.
Experienced coach Rolando Maran is the latest man employed by notorious owner Massimo Cellino, and his team have won three and lost three so far this season, after starting the campaign with success in the first round of the Coppa Italia.
Largely thanks to Giacomo Olzer's second-half brace, Maran's men defeated Serie A new boys Venezia 3-1 to set up this week's tie - the winner of which will meet Bologna in the last 16.
Before tackling likely promotion rivals Cremonese at the weekend, Brescia must first face another Lombardy outfit at U-Power Stadium, where their hosts may be ripe for an upset.
Team News
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Monza are missing Samuele Birindelli, Patrick Ciurria, Roberto Gagliardini, Samuele Vignato and goalkeeper Alessio Cragno due to injury, but Alessandro Nesta is still set to rotate his remaining resources on Thursday evening.
Daniel Maldini and veteran striker Milan Djuric may be among several players rested for league duty at the weekend, while Gianluca Caprari and Danilo D'Ambrosio lead the queue for promotion from the bench.
Meanwhile, Brescia boss Rolando Maran has quite a crowded infirmary too, with Nicolas Galazzi and Andrea Cistana the most notable absentees.
As the long Serie B promotion race takes priority over a run in the Coppa Italia, the visitors may also make some changes to the starting lineup from last week's league loss to Pisa.
Captain Dimitri Bisoli and striker Gabriele Moncini could be restricted to cameo roles as a result.
Monza possible starting lineup:
Pizzignacco; D'Ambrosio, Mari, Carboni; Pereira, Valoti, Pessina, Kyriakopoulos; Forson, Caprari; Maric
Brescia possible starting lineup:
Andrenacci; Papetti, Adorni, Jallow; Dickmann, Bertagnoli, Bjarnason, Fogliata, Corrado; Bessagio; Juric
We say: Monza 1-0 Brescia
It is set to be a close contest between two Lombardy clubs that have never lifted the Coppa Italia, but due to their greater individual quality, Monza should just scrape through to meet Bologna in the last 16.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
