Sabasports Match Preview
Italian Serie A: Monza vs Parma
Kickoff Time: 2024-03-15 22:00 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Monza is at the bottom of the Serie A table, more than 10 points away from safety, facing immense relegation pressure. However, during the winter transfer window, the team did not strengthen its squad through active signings; instead, it sold players to raise funds. Central defender Pablo Mari, defensive midfielder Warren Bondo, attacking midfielder Daniel Maldini, and striker Milan Djuric were all sold, with Djuric even moving to Parma, a direct relegation rival in this round. Since all four were absolute key players for the team, it effectively means that Monza has completely changed its core lineup, making such transfer activities appear more like preparations for next season’s Serie B. After this “passive” recruitment, Monza’s bench strength has drastically declined, leading to a significant drop in competitiveness. Since February 1, in the last six league matches, Monza has only earned one point, and that was against Lecce, the team with the worst attacking record in Serie A. With such a poor form and scoring rate, Monza could be relegated six to eight rounds early. What’s even more puzzling is that Salvatore Bocchetti, who had only been in charge for a month and a half, was fired due to unsatisfactory results, while Alessandro Nesta, who was previously dismissed, has returned as Monza’s head coach. This back-and-forth change in management indicates that Monza’s upper management is somewhat at a loss.
Parma is the newly promoted team this season, currently recording five wins, nine draws, and 14 losses, with an unbeaten rate of exactly 50%, which is barely acceptable. During the winter transfer window, the team did not sell any core players; in addition to signing Djuric, they also brought in striker Mateo Pellegrino, winger Jacob Ondrejka, left-back Mathias Lovik, and center-back Alessandro Vogliacco, significantly enhancing their overall strength. Mateo Pellegrino has adapted to the pace of Serie A and scored twice in the last match against Torino. Tactically, Parma primarily employs a 4-3-3 formation, creating scoring opportunities through a combination of wing and central play. During this period, the wingers utilize their speed to break through or deliver crosses, while midfielders actively join the attack. In training this week, Parma focused on practicing set-piece tactics, enhancing their crossing drills from the wings. The main reason for this is that Monza plays with three center-backs, but they are relatively short. For example, in the last match, the heights of their three center-backs were 1.80m, 1.83m, and 1.85m, respectively. Clearly, Parma is trying to exploit the gaps on the flanks of Monza and use their height advantage to break the deadlock.
Monza is a team deeply entrenched in the relegation zone, with limited squad strength. After the negative recruitment, it is difficult to improve their capabilities through player replacements; Nesta’s second tenure will not bring significant changes to the tactical approach. In contrast, Parma, while actively signing players, has also appointed 44-year-old Romanian coach Cristian Eugene Chivu as the head coach of the first team. He has revitalized the form of Romanian forward Dennis Man through tactical adjustments. In this match, it is believed that Parma can outsmart Monza and secure the crucial three points on their path to relegation survival.
Monza’s Last 5 Games: LLLDL
25-03-09 Inter 3-2 Monza
25-03-02 Monza 0-2 Torino
25-02-25 AS Roma 4-0 Monza
25-02-16 Monza 0-0 Lecce
25-02-09 Lazio 5-1 Monza
Parma’s Last 5 Games: DLWLL
25-03-08 Parma 2-2 Torino
25-03-02 Udinese 1-0 Parma
25-02-22 Parma 2-0 Bologna
25-02-17 Parma 0-1 Roma
25-02-09 Cagliari 2-1 Parma
Head To Head Record:
24-12-28 Parma 2-1 Monza
22-03-03 Monza 1-1 Parma
21-10-17 Parma 0-0 Monza
Prediction: Parma to win