18 January 2023
Juventus enter Coppa Italia action on Thursday in what will be only the second home fixture in the cup against Monza.
The team from Brianza are winless in the four previous Italian Cup games against the Bianconeri but the league defeat on September 18 is warning enough for Juve that the Serie A newcomers are a force to be reckoned with.
MONZA'S CUP RUN SO FAR
Monza have already eliminated two opponents in this season's Coppa Italia on their way to the round of 16 for the third time in club history, after 1939 - when they reached the quarterfinals - and 1959.
The first fixture was in early August when the team was still coached by Giovanni Stroppa. Monza scored twice in the first half, with both goals coming from the penalty spot, only to be pegged back at 2-2 after the restart.
Substitute Christian Gytkjær scored the game's fifth and decisive goal on 84' - the team's only win and the striker's only goal until they defeated Juventus on Serie A Matchday 7, the debut as First Team coach for Rafaelle Palladino.
Palladino collected four wins from his first five matches in charge, including another five-goal thriller in the Italian Cup. Leading again at half time, Monza then trailed 2-1 to Udinese with a quarter of the match remaining.
Two quick goals from Matteo Pessina and Andrea Petagna completed the comeback in favour of the team from Brianza.
PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON
Monza can already boast five different goalscorers in the cup this term. Mattia Valoti is the only player to have scored in both their matches so far.
Altough Andrea Petagna scored the decisive goal in the Coppa Italia victory over Udinese, in his career he has never scored more than one goal in the same edition of the competition.
In last weekend's 3-2 win over Cremonese in Serie A, Petagna dished two assists, one for Patrick Ciurria, the Monza player that has contributed to most goals for his team this season.
Ciurria has been directly involved in six goals so far, with both his strikes and one assist coming in the three matches played in 2023 - a decisive pass in the draw with Fiorentina and goals in the stalemate with Inter and victory over Cremonese.
