After both ended 2024 with four straight Serie A defeats, relegation rivals Monza and Cagliari will vie for victory in their year-opening fixture on Sunday.
While the Brianzoli are marooned at the foot of the standings, their Sardinian counterparts are just four points better off and also sit inside the drop zone.
Match preview
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Having pulled the plug on Alessandro Nesta's brief reign with a record of one win from 17 Serie A matches, a managerial change failed to immediately improve Monza's fortunes, as they suffered a painful 2-1 defeat to Parma last weekend.
When Pablo Mari was sent off early in the second half with the Brianzoli's hosts leading 1-0, any hopes of salvaging even a point seemed slim; yet, Pedro Pereira produced a late equaliser. However, deep into stoppage time, Parma struck again.
Salvatore Bocchetti therefore lost on his dugout debut with Monza, after recording six defeats as interim coach of Hellas Verona in late 2022: only two men have ever lost more matches at the start of their Serie A coaching career.
More pertinently, his new club have taken nothing from their last four league games, and they lie bottom of the table with just 10 points so far. At this stage last season, they had posted 22, and that negative 12-point difference is the worst throughout Italy's top flight.
Winless since October and without a single home victory in the league this season, Monza can at least head into Sunday's survival clash with a good recent record against Cagliari: they are yet to be beaten by the Sardinians in Serie A.
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In fact, Cagliari have won only one of the sides' last six league meetings - and that sole success came back in October 2000, down in the second tier.
The Rossoblu come into this contest having lost four straight games leading up to Christmas, before being beaten 3-0 at home by Inter Milan in their final fixture of 2024.
Worryingly, they failed to even score in four of those five outings, which included a tame Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Juventus.
As a result, Cagliari sit two points adrift of safety and are set for another relegation battle, following last term's close escape under Claudio Ranieri.
Davide Nicola's men are therefore under pressure to beat one of the two teams below them this weekend, while claiming just a second away win of the season.
Team News
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Although Monza have made a fast start in the January transfer market, bringing Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro back to the club from Lazio, Salvatore Bocchetti will still have a depleted squad to choose from on Sunday.
Georgios Kyriakopoulos recently joined Samuele Vignato, Luca Caldirola, Roberto Gagliardini and Matteo Pessina on the sidelines due to injury, while Pablo Mari must serve a suspension.
With Dany Mota just back in training, Daniel Maldini should link with top scorer Milan Djuric up front, and Gianluca Caprari could join them.
Meanwhile, Cagliari are still missing mercurial forward Zito Luvumbo, who is struggling with an ankle problem, so Roberto Piccoli may again be supported by Gianluca Gaetano in attack.
Veteran striker Leonardo Pavoletti moved up to fifth in the Sardinian side's top-flight goals list last month, and he is set to start on the bench.
In fact, Pavoletti has not started a league match since December 2023, but Cagliari's 'super-sub' will still aim to make Monza the 19th team he has scored a header against in Serie A.
Monza possible starting lineup:
Turati; Izzo, Carboni, D'Ambrosio; Pereira, Bianco, Bondo, Birindelli; Caprari, Maldini; Djuric
Cagliari possible starting lineup:
Scuffet; Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Obert; Zortea, Adopo, Makoumbou, Augello; Gaetano; Piccoli
We say: Monza 0-1 Cagliari
Cagliari always find it tough to take points back home from the mainland, but they will rarely have a better opportunity to do so.
As Monza are low on confidence and must do without key players, it may take more time for their new coach to make an impact.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
