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Italian Serie A: Monza vs Fiorentina
Kickoff Time: 2024-01-14 03:45 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Monza lost 1-2 at home to Cagliari in the last match, marking the team’s 12th consecutive winless game across all competitions. Currently, Monza sits at the bottom of the Serie A table with a record of one win, seven draws, and 11 losses, making their relegation situation quite severe. Recently, Monza’s CEO Adriano Galliani issued an open letter to the entire team, demanding that everyone must fully commit to the second half of the season. Notably, Monza has received red cards in their last two matches; despite being a man down, they did not solely focus on defense but actively sought offensive opportunities. Through the organization of midfield players and the individual abilities of forwards, they managed to score, demonstrating strong resilience and a fighting spirit. Although Monza is currently on a five-match losing streak in the league, they have managed to score in each of those five games, making their attacking prowess hard to ignore.
Fiorentina lost 0-3 at home to Napoli in the last match and has been winless in five games, showing a decline in form. This season, Fiorentina was once seen as a major dark horse in the Serie A title race; however, as their form has dipped, the gap between them and the top of the table has widened. It is worth mentioning that in the last five matches, Fiorentina scored four goals and conceded nine, with frequent defensive errors and a lack of direction in their attack, resulting in a struggle to find the net. In this season of competing on multiple tournaments, Fiorentina seems to be showing signs of fatigue. Meanwhile, their recent poor performance has exposed the ineffectiveness of Fiorentina’s core tactics, and the coaching staff may be facing challenges in balancing the use of young players with experienced veterans.
There is no doubt that Fiorentina’s overall strength is significantly higher than that of Monza. However, Fiorentina’s recent form has seen noticeable declines in both their attacking and defensive performances. While Monza’s overall strength is limited, their attacking firepower is quite stable, and given their urgent need to earn points while playing at home, their motivation is beyond doubt. Overall, it would not be unreasonable to expect the desperate Monza to secure points against the struggling Fiorentina.
Monza’s Last 5 Games: LLLLL
25-01-05 Monza 1-2 Cagliari
24-12-28 Parma 2-1 Monza
24-12-23 Monza 1-2 Juventus
24-12-15 Lecce 2-1 Monza
24-12-10 Monza 1-2 Udinese
Fiorentina’s Last 5 Games: LDLDL
25-01-05 Fiorentina 0-3 Napoli
24-12-30 Juventus 2-2 Fiorentina
24-12-24 Fiorentina 1-2 Udinese
24-12-20 Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-1 Fiorentina
24-12-15 Bologna 1-0 Fiorentina
Head To Head Record:
24-09-02 Fiorentina 2-2 Monza
24-05-14 Fiorentina 2-1 Monza
23-12-23 Monza 0-1 Fiorentina
23-04-23 Monza 3-2 Fiorentina
23-01-05 Fiorentina 1-1 Monza
Prediction: Monza to win