Monza vs Inter Milan

Stadio Brianteo forms the backdrop for a handsomely-looking Serie A showdown between mid-table Monza and pacesetters Inter Milan.

Monza brought a sorrowful end to 2023, going three consecutive Serie A matches without scoring. Except for a tepid 0-0 draw at Napoli, they lost their two other meetings in that sequence, including a disastrous 3-0 defeat to Inter’s bitter rivals Milan at San Siro. However, Raffaele Palladino’s side got 2024 off to a winning start, netting two unanswered first-half goals en route to dispatching Frosinone 3-2 on the road. That result saw ‘I Biancorossi’ whittle down the gap on sixth-placed Atalanta to five points ahead of their first home league fixture of 2024. Worryingly for Palladino, after going unbeaten in their opening seven home matches of 2023/24 (W2, D4), his men have lost two of their last three (W1), suggesting their bid to avenge a 2-0 defeat in round one could be difficult to achieve.

On the other hand, Inter Milan squeezed past relegation-battling Hellas Verona 2-1 at Giuseppe Meazza last weekend, courtesy of a late goal and the visitors’ missed penalty in the 100th minute. After bouncing back from a heartbreaking Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Bologna, Simone Inzaghi’s men can turn their attention toward lifting a long-awaited Scudetto. Crowned ‘winter champions’ for the 18th time in the club’s history, ‘I Nerazzurri’ have done half of the work, knowing they went on to win the title on four of the five previous such occasions. Inter can draw further confidence from their imperious record on the road as they’re the only team yet to lose an away Serie A game this season (W7, D2).