Ah, the delicious drama of a Napoli versus Monza matchup, classic like a cold tiramisu in a hot summer. Napoli, the apparent hot favorite, is staking all their dominance on players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Alessandro Buongiorno. Each hitting the pitch with an impressive high 7's as their individual ratings and throwing down some goals here and there like it's a breeze. As for manning the net, Alex Meret and Elia Caprile are juggling that responsibility, though with their subpar save records, I'm surprised the net doesn't have its own zip code.
Now, on the other side we have Monza, the underdog, the one we all secretly hope pulls some magical turnaround, right? Stefano Turati seems to be the lad keeping the shots at bay with an impressive 7.1 rating and double digit saves. As for the other lads, Milan Đurić, Daniel Maldini and Dany Mota are the ones swinging the game, pulling the strings with pass accuracies that any grandma knitting would envy.
Quick trip down memory lane takes us to some past skirmishes between these two. Remember Napoli's triumphant 4-2 win in April, 2024? Or when the dust settled with a draw in December, 2023? Now, the regular season records look a bit lopsided with Napoli boasting 3 wins against Monza's nil. Monza needs stirring speeches, a nail-biting strategy and maybe a miracle just to break even with their recent results. Napoli on the other hand, just another day in the life.
So, Napoleon, you'll have to pardon me but I think you're going for the long march here. Monza, keep the espresso strong, we need you gunning for a turnaround. But alas, past records and current forms do suggest Napoli is strapped in for victory.
Albert’s Prediction: Napoli by 2