Monza vs Sassuolo prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-01-27 14:00.
A 3-0 defeat against Empoli last weekend made it four losses from six Serie A matches (W1, D1) for mid-table Monza. That’s as many as they suffered from their first 15 games of this league season, and with the Biancorossi starting the round as far from the top-five as the bottom-three, boss Raffaele Palladino will be keen to turn their fortunes around quickly.
Returning home brings with it the chastening memories of the 5-1 thumping they received against Inter Milan in their last game here – their heaviest-ever top-flight home defeat. Three losses have come from their last four league matches at the Stadio Brianteo, so Monza will certainly be pleased to be facing Sassuolo given their unbeaten record in league H2Hs (W2, D1) – including a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Sassuolo’s situation is far more precarious than their hosts’, with just two points separating them from the relegation zone pre-round. The Neroverdi have won just once from their last seven league matches (D1, L5), while their seasonal points tally of 19 is their lowest at this stage since 2013/14, which was their first season in the top-flight.
They survived the drop by just two points in that campaign, and a similar fate could await them this term if they don’t address one of the division’s most porous defences which has already conceded 36 goals. A whopping 21 of those came on the road, and as Alessio Dionisi’s men have lost four of their last five Serie A games away from home (D1), Sassuolo could be in for some more pain here.
Players to watch: A goal from Dany Mota could be good news for Monza as his last six top-flight strikes have come in wins. Sassuolo may look to Kristian Thorstvedt to cancel out his impact, as two of his three league goals this season have served as equalisers.
Hot stat: Monza have conceded a league-high nine match opening goals within the first 15 minutes this season.