,
Matchday 33
SAS
SAS
COM
COM
DAZN
,
Matchday 33
INT
INT
CAG
CAG
DAZN | SKY
,
Matchday 33
UDI
UDI
PAR
PAR
DAZN
,
Matchday 33
NAP
NAP
LAZ
LAZ
DAZN
,
Matchday 33
ROM
ROM
ATA
ATA
DAZN | SKY
,
Matchday 33
CRE
CRE
TOR
TOR
DAZN
,
Matchday 33
VER
VER
MIL
MIL
DAZN
,
Matchday 33
PIS
PIS
GEN
GEN
DAZN | SKY
,
Matchday 33
JUV
JUV
BOL
BOL
DAZN
,
Matchday 33
LEC
LEC
FIO
FIO
DAZN
Monza vs Fiorentina to close out Matchday 20
Serie A

Monza vs Fiorentina to close out Matchday 20

Monza and Fiorentina are both looking for a victory to put difficult periods behind them

The first day of Serie A's return leg will close at the U-Power Stadium with the match between Monza and Fiorentina. The hosts, who are at the bottom of the table with 10 points, will need to move up in the standings to break a streak of five consecutive defeats and try to shorten the gap to safety. The former Monza player and manager, Raffaele Palladino, has only got one point in the last four matches: he will want to start again in the hunt for a place in the Champions League and cannot afford any mistakes.

HEAD TO HEAD

Fiorentina and Monza have faced each other seven times between Serie A and Serie B, with the Brianza team having won only once: 3-2 at the U-Power Stadium on 23 April 2023 in the top flight (D3 L3). After the 2-2 draw in the first leg, Monza and Fiorentina could draw both matches of a single championship for the first time in their history.

DID YOU KNOW

Monza have lost their last five championship games, the Brianza team have never recorded six defeats in a row in Serie A (also five in the first five games ever in the top flight, between August and September 2022). Since Serie A returned to 20 teams (from 2004/05), only two of the 13 teams that earned 10 or fewer points after 19 Serie A matches of the season have avoided relegation: Crotone in 2016/17 (nine in that case) and Cagliari in 2007/08 (10). Before moving to Fiorentina, Raffaele Palladino coached Monza in 70 Serie A matches (25W, 21D, 24L), including the Brianza team's first ever victory in the top flight, 1-0 on 18 September 2022 against Juventus (his debut on the bench in Serie A). Fiorentina is the only team that has not conceded a goal in the first 15 minutes of the game and in the last 15 minutes this Serie A season.

PLAYERS

Fiorentina is the opponent against whom Gianluca Caprari has scored the most goals in Serie A: five, with three different teams (Pescara, Sampdoria and Hellas Verona). The 1993 born player could also score in two matches in a row in the tournament for the first time since January 2023 (against Cremonese and Sassuolo in that case). Before Moise Kean (11 goals in 2024/25), the last player to score more than 10 goals after 18 matches for the Viola in his first season with Fiorentina in Serie A was Alberto Gilardino in 2008/09 (12 in that case). The Italian striker is just two goals away from his record for scoring in a season in the top five European leagues: 13 goals with PSG in 2020/21.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: D'Ambrosio (Monza) Cautioned: Bianco, Pedro Pereira, Carboni (Monza), Comuzzo (Fiorentina)

REFEREE

DIONISI (DEL GIOVANE – PAGLIARDINI), IV: MARINELLI, VAR: GUIDA, AVAR: MAZZOLENI

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Bologna-Monza (Saturday 18 January, 15:00 CET) Fiorentina-Torino (Sunday 19 January, 12.30 CET) (Photo Getty Images)