Monza are set to play their first-ever Serie A game on Saturday at the Stadio Brianteo against Torino.
The home team secured promotion to the Italian top-flight via the promotion play-offs last season, defeating Pisa 6-4 on aggregate in the final. They played their first competitive game of the season last Sunday in the Coppa Italia first-round fixture. Goals from Mattia Valoti, Gianluca Caprari, and Christian Gytkjær helped them to a 3-2 win against Frosinone.
Torino finished 10th in Serie A last season and kicked off their 2022-23 campaign with a 3-0 win over Palermo at home in the Coppa Italia on Sunday.
Monza vs Torino Head-to-Head
The two northwest Italian rivals have met 20 times across all competitions, with Serie B and Coppa Italia accounting for all of these fixtures. Torino have the upper hand in this fixture with 12 wins to their name.
The hosts have been able to defeat Il Toro just once, with that victory coming in a Serie B fixture in 1990. This will be the first meeting between the two sides since the 2000-01 campaign when Torino completed a league double in Serie B over I Biancorossi.
Monza form guide (all competitions): W-W-W-W-W
Torino form guide (all competitions): W-L-W-W-W
Monza vs Torino Team News
Monza
There are no reported absentees for the hosts due to injuries. José Machin and Eugenio Lamanna have been handed bans for the campaign opener.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: José Machin, Eugenio Lamanna
Unavailable: None
Torino
David Zima has been ruled out with a shoulder injury picked up in the friendly game against Nice. Armando Izzo was not included in the squad against Palermo in the Coppa Italia game and his involvement here remains doubtful.
Mergim Vojvoda is sidelined until the end of the month with a muscle injury while Alessandro Buongiorno is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards from last season.
Injured: Mergim Vojvoda, David Zima
Doubtful: Armando Izzo
Suspended: Alessandro Buongiorno
Unavailable: None
Monza vs Torino Predicted XIs
Monza (3-5-2): Alessio Cragno (GK); Pablo Mari, Marlon, Carlos Augusto; Samuele Birindelli, Matteo Pessina, Stefano Sensi, Andrea Barberis, Gianluca Caprari; Christian Gytkjaer, Dany Mota
Torino (3-4-3): Etrit Berisha (GK); Koffi Djidji, Ricardo Rodriguez, Brian Jephte Bayeye; Wilfried Singo, Saša Lukić, Samuele Ricci, Ola Aina; Demba Seck, Antonio Sanabria, Nemanja Radonjić
Monza vs Torino Prediction
Both teams had a decent outing in their Coppa Italia first-round fixtures, scoring three goals. While the visiting side have dominated the proceedings in this fixture, Monza have been in incredible form during the pre-season and are expected to put in a solid performance at home.
With both sides having a few absentees for the game, a low-scoring match is expected and a draw might ensue.
Prediction: Monza 1-1 Torino
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