AC MILAN v MONZA: OPPONENT REVIEW

After three consecutive wins, AC Milan don't want to lose their hot run of form. On matchday 11 of Serie A, Stefano Pioli's squad will face one of the most in-form teams in the league: Raffaele Palladino's Monza, defeated in their last game in Empoli, but capable of achieving three wins in their previous matches against Juventus, Sampdoria and Spezia. A first editions of this Lombardy derby in the top flight, which AC Milan are approaching with the highest of hopes. In fact since the 1992/93 season the Rossoneri have not won more than seven of their first 10 matches in a Serie A championship in the year following the Scudetto victory: in that year, then, came a repeat of the previous year's title. Monza have regained strength, vigour and depth under their new coach and have picked up 10 points in these first 10 games: looking at the previous 20 Serie A championships, only four out of 34 (12%) newly-promoted teams to have reached this milestone in their first 10 games were then relegated at the end of the season (Benevento 2020/21, Frosinone 2015/16, Brescia 2010/11 and Lecce 2008/09). The club of former greats Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani has important ambitions, it wants to build a solid future for itself and to do so it wants to establish itself in the top flight. There are the premises for the project started in 2018 to reach this goal over time.

PALLADINO'S NEW MONZA, WHO DOMINATE POSSESSION AND CONCEDE LITTLE
But which Monza will AC Milan face? A totally different team compared to the one of the early days, overhauled in its set-up and interpretation of the game by the new technical direction. Since Raffaele Palladino took charge (four matches), in fact, Monza are the third team in the league for balls recovered in the last third of the pitch (24, behind only Cremonese and Torino), the fourth team in the league for average ball possession (55.7%, behind Fiorentina, Torino and Inter) and second for the fewest shots conceded (34, behind only Roma's 33). An aggressive side, who knows how to keep the ball thanks to the fundamental skills of their best players (Sensi, Caprari, Pessina above all), who will press high, disturbing the Rossoneri's ball-carriers and who will not want to concede space and chances to their opponents. Pioli's boys are aware that they will be up against a fierce, polished and organised opposition. Suffice it to say that Monza have conceded just one goal in the two away matches played under Palladino's tenure: 0.5 on average per game, compared to the eight conceded by the Biancorossi (2.7 on average per match) in their previous three away matches in this championship. The defence, led by ex-Udinese player Pablo Marí, has certainly improved and goalkeeper Di Gregorio is much less strained than in the first rounds of this season.

CAPRARI HAS ALREADY MADE AN IMPRESSION, CIURRIA LOYAL TO THE NEW COACH
During their last few games, Monza has often exploited the flanks to create superiority and strike. On the left side, one of the stars of the Brianza team, Gianluca Caprari, often cuts in on his right. The former Hellas Verona man, with a goal and an assist in his first 10 matches, made his Serie A debut against AC Milan, in the Roma ranks, on 7 May 2011; against the Rossoneri he scored a goal in 10 matches, which came in his most recent away game with the Scaligeri on 16 October 2021. On the right wing, on the other hand, Patrick Ciurria, who has always played as a starter under Palladino - also providing two winning assists in four matches - and who seems to be one of the hallmarks of this new Biancorossa resurgence, has become a staple. Another name to watch out for is Matteo Pessina, who has been involved in two goals (one goal and one assist) in the last three Serie A matches, as many as in his previous 35 appearances in the league. The former Atalanta midfielder, however, has never scored or provided an assist in six matches played against AC Milan in the top division. Finally, a lucky charm of sorts, who will start alongside former Milanista Petagna and Gytkjær in the centre of the Brianza attack: Dany Mota. In the four matches in this championship started from the first minute by the Portuguese player, Monza picked up two wins, a draw and a defeat for a points average of 1.8; while in the six in which he was not in the starting eleven only one win and five defeats (points average of 0.5). Palladino has several aces up his sleeve to put AC Milan in trouble and he will have to be good at exploiting them to get the best out of his team.

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