Monza vs Udinese: A Home Test Built Around Two Very Different Starts

A week after being punished by Inter’s quality, Monza return to the Brianteo with a much more direct opportunity to collect their first Serie A points of the campaign.
Ivan Juric’s newly promoted side showed genuine courage at San Siro, staying level with the champions at half-time before Inter’s superior quality eventually decided the contest.
Udinese arrive from the opposite direction after opening the season with a 1-1 draw against Como, a result that gave Kosta Runjaic’s team something to build on but also left them looking for their first victory.
The visitors have particular reason to believe they can compete in Monza, having never lost at the Lombardy club in Serie A and having won their most recent away meeting there in December 2024.
Monza’s immediate challenge is to reproduce the intensity shown in the first half against Inter without leaving the spaces that allowed the champions to take control after the break.
For Udinese, the objective is to turn their disciplined opening performance into a more complete away display and maintain the confidence Runjaic has demanded from his players on the road.

The tactical picture could become particularly interesting because both coaches are expected to work from a 3-4-2-1 structure.
Juric has already demonstrated that he is willing to trust young players, with Monza fielding six Serie A debutants against Inter and maintaining a competitive level for long periods.
Gustavo Varela is the obvious attacking reference after scoring Monza’s first league goal of the season, while Andrea Colpani and Ricardo Mangas are expected to operate behind him.
Udinese have their own attacking options, with Keinan Davis expected to lead the line if his fitness allows and Unai Gómez potentially taking a more advanced role following Nicolò Zaniolo’s injury.
The midfield duel between players such as Foe Ondoa, Mathis Mout, Jesper Karlström and Jakub Piotrowski could determine who controls the second balls and the transitions.
Neither side is likely to dominate comfortably for 90 minutes, making the moments immediately after possession changes particularly important.

The pre-match discussion has been heavily influenced by Udinese’s injury news, with the visitors losing two players after their opening match against Como.
Matteo Palma suffered a muscular injury to the adductor longus of his right leg, while Nicolò Zaniolo sustained a muscular injury to the biceps femoris of his right thigh.
Udinese’s medical department estimates a recovery period of three to four weeks for both players, ruling them out of this trip to Monza.
Runjaic acknowledged the importance of the two absences before the match but insisted that injuries are part of football and that his team must continue to play with confidence.
Monza have also been dealing with significant availability problems, most notably Matteo Pessina, who underwent successful surgery for a dislocated left kneecap earlier in August.
The club’s official 23-man squad for this match confirms that Pessina is not available, while the list does include Akinsanmiro and Dany Mota, giving Juric more options than he had at San Siro.

What the coaches are saying points toward a competitive rather than cautious encounter.
Runjaic described Monza as a team that will chase Udinese man for man and specifically highlighted the way Juric’s side challenged Inter during the first half at San Siro.
The Udinese coach has therefore warned his players not to treat the newly promoted hosts as an easy opponent, even though Monza suffered a heavy final scoreline on opening weekend.
Juric’s side, meanwhile, can take confidence from the fact that their first-half performance against the champions produced a goal, several dangerous attacking moments and a willingness to press high.
The main question is whether that aggression can be sustained without the defensive gaps becoming too large.
With Udinese possessing a strong recent away record and Monza needing to turn home advantage into points, the match should provide a clearer indication of how both teams intend to approach the early weeks of the season.

🚨 Official Medical Report

AC Monza

AC Monza
Long-Term / IR	Matteo Pessina	Dislocated left kneecap; underwent surgery and rehabilitation

Udinese

Udinese
Long-Term / IR	Matteo Palma	Muscular lesion of the right adductor longus; estimated recovery 3–4 weeks
Long-Term / IR	Nicolò Zaniolo	Muscular lesion of the right thigh biceps femoris; estimated recovery 3–4 weeks

Only injuries confirmed by official club medical information have been included above.
Monza officially announced Pessina’s surgery and rehabilitation programme, while the club’s final squad announcement confirms that he is absent for this fixture.
Udinese officially confirmed the injuries to Palma and Zaniolo, including the affected muscles and the estimated three-to-four-week recovery period.
There is therefore no speculative “questionable” entry in the tables simply because a player has been omitted from a projected lineup.
Christian Kabasele is unavailable to Udinese because of suspension rather than injury, so he has deliberately not been placed in the medical table.
The same principle applies to other players whose selection status is uncertain but whose absence has not been officially identified as an injury.

📋 Projected Matchday Elevens

The official starting XIs had not yet been released when this preview was prepared, so these selections are projections rather than confirmed lineups.
Monza are expected to maintain Juric’s 3-4-2-1, with Demba Thiam returning in goal after suspension and Eddy Kouadio, Lorenzo Lucchesi and Andrea Carboni forming the defensive trio.
Samuele Birindelli and Ricardo Mangas should provide width, while Foe Ondoa and Mathis Mout are expected to occupy the central midfield positions.
Andrea Colpani and Patrick Cutrone are projected behind Varela, although the Colpani-Forson position remains a selection decision.
Udinese should also use a 3-4-2-1, with Maduka Okoye in goal and a back three built around James Abankwah, Oumar Solet and Enzo Ebosse.
Mërgim Vojvoda and Hassane Kamara are expected to provide the width, with Karlström and Piotrowski central and Unai Gómez supporting Keinan Davis.

AC Monza

AC Monza — Projected Starting XI & Key Personnel
Goalkeeper	Demba Thiam	Projected goalkeeper
Defender	Eddy Kouadio	Right centre-back
Defender	Lorenzo Lucchesi	Central defender
Defender	Andrea Carboni	Left centre-back
Midfielder	Samuele Birindelli	Right wing-back
Midfielder	Foe Ondoa	Central midfield
Midfielder	Mathis Mout	Central midfield
Midfielder	Ricardo Mangas	Left wing-back
Attacking Midfielder	Andrea Colpani	Right attacking role
Attacking Midfielder	Patrick Cutrone	Support striker
Forward	Gustavo Varela	Central striker
Head Coach	Ivan Juric	Monza head coach

Udinese

Udinese — Projected Starting XI & Key Personnel
Goalkeeper	Maduka Okoye	Projected goalkeeper
Defender	James Abankwah	Right centre-back
Defender	Oumar Solet	Central defender
Defender	Enzo Ebosse	Left centre-back
Midfielder	Mërgim Vojvoda	Right wing-back
Midfielder	Jesper Karlström	Central midfield
Midfielder	Jakub Piotrowski	Central midfield
Midfielder	Hassane Kamara	Left wing-back
Attacking Midfielder	Unai Gómez	Attacking midfield
Attacking Midfielder	Jurgen Ekkelenkamp	Attacking midfield
Forward	Keinan Davis	Central striker
Head Coach	Kosta Runjaic	Udinese head coach

🔎 Five Details Worth Watching

• Varela’s confidence: the Portuguese forward scored against Inter and had already found the net twice against Avellino in the Coppa Italia.
• Monza’s defensive structure: Juric’s three-man defence must cope without the injured Pessina while trying to maintain the aggression seen at San Siro.
• Udinese without Zaniolo: his absence removes an important attacking option and forces Runjaic to adjust the positions behind the striker.
• Palma’s absence: the young defender’s injury adds another complication to a Udinese defence already missing suspended Christian Kabasele.
• Historical advantage: Udinese have never lost at Monza in Serie A, while their most recent visit ended in a 2-1 victory.

⚔️ The Area That Could Shape the Game

The key may be what happens in the space between the two attacking midfielders and the opposing midfield line.
Both teams use a structure that can create numerical advantages in central areas, but those advantages disappear quickly if the wing-backs are pinned deep.
For Monza, Colpani’s ability to receive between the lines could be particularly important because Varela needs service rather than isolated battles against three central defenders.
Udinese will look to use Karlström and Piotrowski to protect the centre before releasing Vojvoda and Kamara into the wider channels.
The visitors’ recent record away from home gives them confidence, but Monza’s first-half display at San Siro demonstrated that Juric’s players are capable of making a stronger opponent uncomfortable.
If the hosts reproduce that intensity while improving their defensive concentration after the interval, the Brianteo could offer a very different environment from the one they encountered in Milan.

Full Match
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⚽Highlights
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