28 January 2023
Juventus prepare for a second visit from Monza in the space of 11 days. The side from Brianza first set foot inside the Allianz Stadium in the Coppa Italia round of 16 on January 19.
Raffaele Palladino's team return to the home of the Bianconeri for Serie A Matchday 20, the first match of the second half of the season, only one point behind after the 15-point penalty imposed on Juve.
Let's catch up on the Biancorossi.
THE SEASON SO FAR
Monza are unbeaten on league duty in 2023. Since domestic action resumed after the World Cup, the Serie A newcomers have drawn three and won one of their four fixtures - the only defeat since November being that in the cup against Juve.
Included in the unbeaten run are draws against Inter at home and Fiorentina away, proof that the win against the Bianconeri that kick started Monza' season and Palladino's senior coaching career was no one-off.
In fact, since being appointed coach, the former Juve midfielder has guided his side to 21 points from 13 Serie A games - only six teams have done better in the period. What's more, since the return to a 20-team Serie A in season 2004/05, Monza are the top-flight debutees that have put most points on the board in the first half of the season, 22.
However, three of the four defeats suffered by Sunday's visitors in the last 14 league games have come away, at Lazio and Milan.
KEEP AN EYE ON ...
Gianluca Caprari has scored three goals in the last two league games, including the equaliser last weekend against Sassuolo, as many as he had managed in his previous 27 matches.
Furthermore, considering only the winter season (December 21 – March 20) over the last two seasons, only Tammy Abraham (11) and Victor Osimhen (10) have scored more goals than Caprari's nine.
Although no player in the current Monza squad has ever scored in Serie A in Turin against Juventus, Caprari is the only one to boast at least two goals against the Bianconeri in the top flight, both with the shirt of Sampdoria in 2019.
