Monza risk going eight Serie A games without winning when they host relegation-threatened Frosinone at the U-Power Stadium in Sunday's gameweek 37 fixture.
The Biancorossi's underwhelming end to year two in the top division gives the Canaries hope of a much-needed victory, with the struggling side ahead of 18th-placed Empoli on head-to-head points.
Match preview
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Monza had lost one league game in eight heading into the March international break, claiming five victories, but the White and Reds' form has fallen off a cliff in the following two months.
Four defeats and as many draws have left Raffaele Palladino's men in 12th after an eight-match winless sequence, unlikely to end in the top half this term (they are five behind Torino in 10th) and with survival assured.
The Biancorossi cannot slide lower than 12th, with 13th-placed Lecce eight points behind Palladino's men, leaving Monza with little or nothing to play for and motivation possibly low heading into the penultimate round of the 2023-24 season.
Supporters at the U-Power Stadium will demand a positive showing on the Biancorossi's final home game of the season despite the absence of any tangible target in their last two games, keen to end with maximum points on home turf.
The recent three at U-Power Stadium have seen Monza end with one point in nine, losing twice against Napoli (4-2) and Atalanta BC (2-1) and twice fighting back to draw 2-2 with Lazio, further underlining why fans will hope for a different outcome on Sunday.
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While the Biancorossi are neither in relegation trouble nor pushing for a European spot, Frosinone cannot be as casual in their manner, with the Canaries' top-flight status far from secure.
Eusebio Di Francesco's men are level on points with Empoli in 18th, but the Canaries' superior head-to-head means Davide Nicola's side are third-bottom — Frosinone beat the Azzurri 2-1 in November and the reverse fixture ended goalless.
The Ciociari's survival tussle was going well but last week's 5-0 thrashing by champions Inter Milan threatens to set them back, ending the 17th-placed club's six-game undefeated sequence (one win).
The travelling supporters hope the team do not dwell on that result in what was always expected to be an uphill task against Simone Inzaghi's Scudetto winners, keen to get the desired outcome in a tight battle at the bottom.
Only Salernitana (16 points) have been relegated, with Sassuolo (29) three points adrift of Empoli and Frosinone (both 32), four behind Cagliari and Udinese on 33 points and five back of 14th-placed Hellas Verona on 34 points. The survival battle is anticipated to go down to the wire.
Team News
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Palladino is still without the suspended Papu Gomez, who continues to serve a doping ban. Patrick Ciurria (meniscus) and Andrea Carboni (muscle) are not expected to play on Sunday.
Milan Djuric has netted three goals in his last two league matches for the Biancorossi, taking him to nine Serie A goals for the season, and the forward aims to score in three straight top-flight games in Italy for the time on Sunday. He could also become the first Monza player to score in three consecutive matches this weekend.
Matteo Pessina has surpassed his previous high for goal contributions (eight last season) with this term's six goals and three assists, and he hopes to come up trumps for the struggling hosts.
On-loan Frosinone wide defender Nadir Zortea has been involved in six goals since his temporary switch from Atalanta, and the 25-year-old offers a creative threat from wide positions, underlined by five assists.
While Simone Romagnoli and Mateus Lusuardi will be checked before Sunday's visit to the U-Power Stadium, Luca Mazzitelli (thigh), Stefano Turati (hand), Anthony Oyono (tendon) and Sergio Kalaj (knee) are likely to miss out.
Monza possible starting lineup:
Di Gregorio; Birindelli, Izzo, Mari, Kyriakopoulos; Pessina, Bondo; Zerbin, Colpani, Mota; Djuric
Frosinone possible starting lineup:
Cerofolini; Lirola, Okoli, Bonifazi; Zortea, Barrenechea, Brescianini, Valeri; Soule, Carvalho; Cheddira
We say: Monza 1-1 Frosinone
Excluding the hammering at the hands of Inter, Frosinone have typically been hard to beat since the March hiatus. However, wins have been hard to come by for Di Francesco's men, whose recent games against Monza across Serie A, Serie B and the Coppa Italia have resulted in one win in six, with four losses and a draw.
A draw could be on the cards given the Biancorossi's seemingly diminished motivation and Frosinone's historical struggles in this fixture.
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