Monza vs AC Milan prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-02-17 17:00.
This could be an opportune moment for Monza to welcome the defending Serie A (SA) champions AC Milan for the very first time to Stadio Brianteo as their 1-0 win in Bologna stretched their current unbeaten league run to eight matches (W4, D4). Without a league loss in the whole of 2023, their bold pre-season ambitions of securing a top-ten finish could well become a reality.
That said, Monza are yet to win here in 2023 with each of their three home outings ending in a draw, with two needing stoppage time equalisers for the hosts. One of them was actually against Milan’s cross-town rivals Inter, meaning you shouldn’t write Monza off even if they do fall behind, especially as they’ve scored eight of their 16 home SA goals beyond the hour mark.
Nearly ten years had passed since Milan’s last UEFA Champions League playoff victory, but they beat Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night to register consecutive 1-0 wins and subsequently end a miserable run of seven competitive outings without a victory (D2, L5). Those duo of successes helped them put their defensive troubles behind them as they registered their first clean sheet since November and their first back-to-back shutouts since August!
Some have speculated that their uptick is related to the boost of Zlatan Ibrahimović’s return from injury. He made the bench in the win against Torino and may even get his first seasonal appearance here. Coach Stefano Pioli would certainly welcome any uplift the Swedish international would bring as Milan have won just one of their last six away matches (D2, L3) and are yet to beat a team that started this round in top half on the road this term (D1, L3).
Players to watch: Andrea Petagna has seen a return to form with a goal and three assists in Monza’s last five SA games, while Milan’s UCL hero Brahim DĂaz has scored five competitive goals for the Rossoneri this term, including a brace in the reverse fixture.
Hot stat: Milan have lost points just once after scoring first this SA season (W10, D1).