Monza-Juventus 1-2, goals from McKennie, Birindelli e Nico Gonzalez

From our correspondent Matteo Nava

December 22, 2024 (changed at 10.50pm) – MONZA

He returns to the starting line-up after 81 days, scores the decisive goal and tries to score two or three more. It's Nico Gonzalez's night at the U-Power Stadium, whom Thiago Motta thanks for his signature on the away match in Monza and for getting a team tormented by draws back on track. It ends 1-2, all in the first half: a feat by Samuele Birindelli equalizes the lead of the usual Weston McKennie, then the Argentine puts his face back in front of the Bianconeri who create something, suffer, but resist.

WES' TIMING

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In addition to the suspended Daniel Maldini, Alessandro Nesta also has to do without several injured players and hosts the Bianconeri with a lineup revised for three elevenths compared to the painful defeat in Lecce. Motta, for his part, brings McKennie back as left back given Danilo's stoppage on the eve and brings Nico back as starter 81 days after the last time, which also coincides with the day of the cursed lesion of the rectus femoris of the right thigh. The objective for both teams is to move up the rankings, which is worrying despite being admired from two very different points of view. The first thrill not attributable to the Brianza cold is a Monza clearance that bounces off Kenan Yildiz and almost misses the crossbar, but after ten minutes a bloody horizontal pass from Nico triggers Gianluca Caprari on the attacking midfield, who however misses the target with his low shot . Shortly afterwards the same Argentine came within a few centimeters of scoring the lead from a corner with a confident header which only a save from Stefano Turati deflected over the crossbar. “Patience”, the former Fiorentina player must have thought a few seconds later, because in the 14th minute on the ensuing corner kick Teun Koopmeiners (halfback again) catches McKennie all alone in the area and serves him for an easy tap-in from one meter.

NICO UNLOCKS

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Juventus in the first half seemed brilliant and confident, but already in the 22nd minute they found themselves having to do it all over again, because from the left Andrea Carboni – who had previously missed the decisive mark in the area – opted for a very long cross and on the other flank Birindelli he catches the goal on Sunday, splendidly volleying past the immobile ex Michele Di Gregorio. As often happens at Juventus, the moves to break the stalemate end up being entrusted to Francisco Conceiçao, who goes wide a couple of times and then, in the 39th minute, unleashes Nicolò Savona on the right. His left-footed cross is very long, McKennie plays from the far post with the ball that rears up and ends up on Manuel Locatelli's foot: in fact he adjusts it for Nico's bird of prey blow. The 1-2 is his first goal in Serie A as a Juventus player. In any case, the U-Power Stadium seems destined to make Juventus suffer, because immediately afterwards Koopmeiners needs to sacrifice himself on a close-range shot from Dani Mota Carvalho to avoid a new immediate equalizer. Relief for guests.

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COOP FARMS

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From the locker room at the start of the second half Koopmeiners did not return to the pitch, blocked by an adductor problem, and Khephren Thuram appeared in his place. The match resumes as crackling as before: Alessandro Bianco challenges DI Gregorio and Yildiz does the same with Turati. The Monza goalkeeper continues to be particularly solicited, especially by Gonzalez, but the Brianza players don't stop looking for space forward and Motta removes the Argentine to bring Andrea Cambiaso back onto the field, with McKennie advanced in the attacking midfield. Danilo D'Ambrosio scares Juventus with a powerful but imprecise shot from inside the area, then Nesta makes Patrick Ciurria make his league debut in place of Pedro Pereira. Juventus continues to run too many risks despite starting again from time to time in an attempt to close out the match, but the substitutions in the last quarter of an hour have no impact on the result, with the 1-2 which gets Juventus back on track after four draws in a row and confirms Monza's last place.