Monza vs Sampdoria prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-02-05 19:45.
Raffaele Palladino believes his Monza side have proved they can “cause problems for any opponent” after they completed a stunning league double over Juventus last time out. Members of the coaching staff cried tears of joy after the 2-0 victory in Turin, handing them a seventh win of a fantastic debut season in Serie A (SA) for the Silvio Berlusconi-owned outfit.
The Whites and Reds sit comfortably in mid-table, defying the bookies who had them among the favourites to get relegated come May. They have been particularly strong at home, picking up four victories, each of them accompanied by a clean sheet (D2, L4), while they are also six league games unbeaten (W3, D3) for the first time since the back end of 2021.
Monza will be confident of extending that run against Sampdoria, who are rock-bottom of the form table across the past eight games. ‘I Blucerchiati’ last suffered half a dozen losses in a row in all competitions over a decade ago, but are on the brink of history after being beaten in their last five straight competitive outings, each of them without scoring.
That has piled the pressure on manager Dejan Stanković, who still insists “we believe we can play in Serie A next season.” His side have an almighty fight on their hands to beat the drop though, given they sit well adrift in 19th position ahead of the round which is their lowest-ever placing in SA after 20 rounds of SA action.
Players to watch: Both of Matteo Pessina’s goals for Monza this season have come in 3-0 victories, including against Sampdoria in October, one of four wins in his five personal H2H meetings (L1). Manolo Gabbiadini has also scored just twice this season, with each of his last eight strikes for Sampdoria now serving as their first of the match.
Hot stat: Sampdoria’s SA matches this season have averaged just 2.1 goals per game, the lowest in the division.