Sports Mole previews Monday’s Serie A clash between Monza and Fiorentina, including predictions, team news and possible line-ups.
Having started to slide down the Series A ranking, Florentines I’m going to try to get back on track by beating the bottom Monza when the two teams meet on Monday.
The Viola were well beaten at home in their first match of 2025, while their struggling hosts started the new year by finishing last.
Match Preview
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After an eight-game winning streak in the Italian top flight, Fiorentina have lost three of their last four Serie A matches – one draw – while conceding eight goals.
Most recently, they were beaten 3-0 by title contenders Napoli in Florence, which saw them suffer back-to-back league defeats at the Stadio Franchi for the first time since late 2023.
Even if the Viola are still in the mix for a top-four finishtheir sparkling streak has clearly stopped, so Raffaele Palladino will be keen to enjoy two fairly pleasant meetings in the space of a week.
Before hosting a faltering Turin side next weekend, Fiorentina must travel to Monza, where Palladino began his senior coaching career.
He managed the Brianzoli in 70 Serie A matches, twice keeping them afloat in the top tier before such impressive work attracted the attention of clubs higher up the Calcio food chain.
Today, he returns to the scene with many happy memories, hoping to win as many points as possible and add to his former club’s woes.
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After a dramatic 2-2 draw in September’s reverse fixture, Monza faced Fiorentina seven times between Serie A and Serie B, winning just once.
Only a downtime leveler Robin Gosens denied them victory when the teams met in Tuscany earlier this season, and since then points have been difficult to come by for the Biancorossi.
Even though the difficult decision was made to fire Palladino’s successor Alexandre Nesta and bring Salvatore Bocchetti Last month, the team failed to react to a new face in the dugout, remaining rooted to the foot of the table.
After ending 2024 with a painful 2-1 defeat to Parma, when conceding a late goal once again cost them dearly, the Brianza club were beaten last time out by another relegation rival.
Although he went through an early period Gianluca Caprari penalty, Bocchetti’s team let the lead slip away, and when Danilo D’Ambrosio was then sent off, they were unable to recover and ultimately collapsed to a 2–1 defeat.
Including a tame exit from the Coppa Italia in early December, Monza have now lost all of their last six games, leaving them with a huge mountain to climb in the second half of the season.
History suggests they may already be doomed: over the past 20 years, only two of the 13 teams with 10 points or fewer at the halfway point have survived: Crotone in 2017 and Cagliari in 2008.
Forms Monza Serie A:
Monza form (all competitions):
Forms of Fiorentina Serie A:
Fiorentina form (all competitions):
Team News
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Fiorentina should have a full squad available on Monday evening, including a recent signing Michael Folorunshowho has just joined the club on loan from Naples. A new boy Nicolas Valentin should start on the bench.
Raffaele Palladino could return to his successful 4-2-3-1 formation after selecting a three-man defense to face Napoli, with the former Monza star Andrea Colpani being recalled.
Make sure you start from the beginning, Moses Kean is the Viola’s top scorer in all competitions with 15 goals this season.
Meanwhile, the Monza side have only managed 17 goals in Serie A so far, and it remains to be seen if Milan Djuric will be brought back to lead the hosts’ attack on Monday.
Otherwise, Daniel Maldini and Gianluca Caprari – the latter of whom scored five first division goals against Fiorentina – would spearhead a failed front line, as Dany Mota is injured.
well that Pablo Mari is back from a suspension, Danilo D’Ambrosio must serve a suspension, while Georgios Kyriakopoulos, Matteo Pessina et Roberto Gagliardini are always apart.
Possible starting lineup at Monza:
Turati; Izzo, Mari, Carboni; Pereira, Sensi, Bondo, Birindelli; Caprari, Maldini; Djuric
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
De Gea ; Dodo, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens; Adli, Mandragore ; Colpani, Beltran, Sottil; Kean
We say: Monza 1-2 Fiorentina
Fiorentina can kick off their campaign with a victory against the bottom Serie A club, who must be lacking in confidence.
Even though the Viola have started losing goals, they still have enough talent to score more than once, earning them three valuable points in the race for European places.
For data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match please click here.
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