After a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Lazio in their most recent Serie A outing, Monza manager Raffaele Palladino may need to consider rotating his squad as fatigue sets in. Palladino admitted that the players were “exhausted” after delivering a “great performance,” which saw Roberto Gagliardini score a first-half equalizer to secure a valuable point for the visitors.
Despite drawing their last two matches, Monza has only lost one of their last four Serie A fixtures (with one win and two draws). This represents a positive start to the season for a team that some feared might struggle with the challenges of second-season syndrome in the top-flight. Notably, they have collected more points in their first five outings this season than they did in their first seven matches in the previous campaign.
In their upcoming match against Bologna, Monza will aim to extend their record of solid performances. Bologna, on the other hand, has also drawn their last two games, with both matches ending in goalless stalemates. Their most recent fixture against defending champions Napoli saw them become the first team to prevent Napoli from scoring this season. Manager Thiago Motta praised his team’s “improving” performance and hailed it as a “fantastic collective effort.”
Bologna’s recent form is undoubtedly on the upswing, as they are now unbeaten in four matches (with one win and three draws). They will approach their away fixture with confidence, especially considering their five-match unbeaten streak on the road in Serie A (with two wins and three draws). However, they will need to convert some of those draws into victories if they aim to surpass last season’s ninth-placed finish.
Two players to watch in this fixture are Monza’s Andrea Colpani and Bologna’s new signing, Alexis Saelemaekers. Colpani, who is currently Monza’s top scorer for the season, will be eager to improve his record, having won only two of the six Serie A matches in which he has scored (with two draws and two losses). Bologna might introduce Saelemaekers for his full debut, and he brings a track record of strong performances, having suffered defeat in just one of his last 12 Serie A appearances (with six wins and five draws).
A noteworthy statistic is that both Monza and Bologna have witnessed three second-half goals in their respective Serie A matches this season, which is currently a joint league-low.
As Monza looks to build on their promising start to the season, they face a Bologna side that is also finding its footing in Serie A. Both teams will be eager to secure a victory in this fixture and continue their upward trajectory in the league standings.