Separated by three points in the Serie A standings, mid-table rivals Monza and Genoa meet on Sunday afternoon.
Though the hosts - who lost at home to Juventus last time out - have picked up just two points from their last three games, they still sit above their visitors in the pecking order.
Match preview
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With only one win from their last six matches, Monza's fast start to the 2023-24 campaign has stalled of late, but approaching Serie A's halfway stage they still sit closer to the top six than the relegation zone.
Since a 3-1 win over Hellas Verona early last month, the Biancorossi have been held to draws by Cagliari and Torino, before suffering a dramatic late defeat when high-flying Juventus came to town.
After doing an unprecedented double over the Turin giants last season, it seemed that Raffaele Palladino's men had snatched another point when the teams met in Monza, as Valentin Carboni scored a stoppage-time equaliser.
However, Juve soon went up the other end and stole victory with a 94th-minute heart-breaker, meaning Monza have now failed to win any of their last three home fixtures.
Another source of concern for Palladino is that his team have also conceded at least once in each of their last six games, so both a clean sheet and three points will be their target against unfamiliar opponents.
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Meeting in a league match for the first time since 2006, when they clashed in the Serie C playoff final, Genoa now visit Monza hoping to draw level with the Biancorossi on points by returning to winning ways.
In that most recent encounter, the Ligurians ultimately won promotion back to Serie B - partly thanks to a goal from Igor Zaniolo, father of Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo - but now the teams finally meet in Italy's top flight.
After one year away, Genoa returned to Calcio's elite level in the spring, and coach Alberto Gilardino has since led his side to a respectable 15 points from their first 14 games back in the big time.
However, stretching back to their relegation campaign of 2021-22, the Grifone have won only one of their last 24 Serie A away fixtures - a 1-0 victory over Lazio earlier this season.
Having let a lead slip to draw with Empoli last week, Gilardino's men were then eliminated from the Coppa Italia in the capital, by a Lazio side securing revenge for August's league loss.
As seen against Empoli, where Ruslan Malinovskyi's trademark strike gave them a one-goal advantage they could not maintain, Genoa's main weakness has been failing to build on promising starts: when considering just the first half of matches, they would sit third in the standings with 27 points - behind only Inter (32) and Milan (31).
That could prove a problem this weekend, because throughout 2023, Monza have gained the most points from losing positions in Serie A - 19, at least four more than any other side.
Team News
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Monza boss Raffaele Palladino will again be without Samuele Vignato, Armando Izzo and long-term absentee Gianluca Caprari on Sunday, but he should otherwise have a full squad to choose from.
Therefore, the hosts are set to name a settled lineup, with any changes likely to occur in the final third.
Having effectively selected a striker-less team last time out, Palladino could recall either Lorenzo Colombo or Dany Mota - potentially both - against less intimidating opposition than Juventus.
Meanwhile, Genoa must make do without one of their main goal threats, Ruslan Malinovskyi, who will serve a suspension for accumulated bookings; Morten Thorsby may therefore be promoted from the bench.
Fellow midfielder Morten Frendrup has already provided four assists this season - after failing to set up a single goal in all of his previous 47 career matches across Serie A and Serie B - and should also be involved in the visitors' central trio.
Albert Gudmundsson and Mattia Bani are both poised to complete their respective returns to fitness, but Kevin Strootman is ruled out until 2024 by a hamstring injury.
Monza possible starting lineup:
Di Gregorio; D'Ambrosio, Mari, Caldirola; Ciurria, Gagliardini, Pessina, Kyriakopoulos; Colpani, Mota; Colombo
Genoa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; De Winter, Dragusin, Vogliacco; Sabelli, Thorsby, Badelj, Frendrup, Haps; Messias; Retegui
We say: Monza 1-0 Genoa
Both sides average around one goal per game, so it may be a tight contest, with Monza capitalising on home advantage and their visitors' weakness when on the road. The hosts have also had more than a week to prepare, while Genoa undertook a midweek Coppa Italia trip down to Rome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
