Udinese vs Monza

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Udinese is set to face Monza in the first of two games with a partially closed stadium, a consequence of racist chanting during their previous match against AC Milan. The Curva Nord, known for its vocal support, will remain silent when Monza visits this weekend.

Struggling in Serie A and without an away win since November, Udinese faces a challenging situation after their recent loss to Atalanta BC. With only two victories this season, they find themselves in a relegation battle, having won just once in their last 11 league matches. Despite being outside the relegation zone based on goal difference, the threat of demotion looms large.

Head coach Gabriele Cioffi is under pressure to strengthen Udinese's defense, as they have conceded the most goals in the final 15 minutes of play this season. Set pieces have been a vulnerability, with 13 goals conceded, including seven from penalties. Additionally, only Salernitana, currently at the bottom of the table, has conceded more goals in home matches.

Facing Monza without the support of several thousand fans due to a upheld appeal against a full stadium closure, Udinese must navigate the match under challenging circumstances. This comes after a recent incident where a section of their supporters racially abused Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan in a 3-2 defeat.

In the three prior encounters, including the reverse fixture in October which ended in a 2-2 draw, Monza has been unable to secure a victory against Udinese since making their Serie A debut in 2022.

Considering Udinese's current situation, Monza may see an opportunity to break this winless streak on Saturday. The team recently bounced back with a win against Sassuolo, putting them back on track after a challenging stretch of five defeats in eight league games. Despite their earlier promising performances in their debut top-flight season last year, Monza slipped down the standings but still maintains a 10-point lead over Udinese.

Looking ahead, Monza aims to secure consecutive league victories for only the second time this season, with their previous back-to-back wins occurring in October. The pivotal figure in this pursuit could be Andrea Colpani, the attacking standout, who, with his decisive goal against Sassuolo, became the first Monza player to score seven goals in a Serie A season. This achievement surpasses the six-goal tally set by Patrick Ciurria and Carlos Augusto in the previous season.

Udinese faces a relatively shorter injury list compared to recent months, but key players Jaka Bijol, Enzo Ebosse, and Gerard Deulofeu remain sidelined this weekend. Despite the departures of Adam Masina and Simone Pafundi during the transfer window, the recent addition of Lautaro Giannetti might see him on the bench. Former first-choice goalkeeper Marco Silvestri is expected to join the bench, having been surpassed by Maduka Okoye.

Lorenzo Lucca, who has scored five of his six Serie A goals at home this season, including the last four, has only managed one away goal in Monza last October. Monza playmaker Andrea Colpani has a favorable record against Udinese, with three goals in three previous encounters.

On the other side, the visiting team is without Gianluca Caprari and Samuele Vignato due to injuries, but the additions of Daniel Maldini and Milan Djuric have strengthened their forward line. Midfielder Jose Machin returns from the Africa Cup of Nations with Equatorial Guinea, while Roberto Gagliardini may rejoin the starting lineup after missing last week's match due to an ankle issue.