MONZA

League position: 20th
Head coach: Giovanni Stroppa
Serie A top scorer: Andrea Colpani, Dany Mota (both one)

RECENT FORM

ROMA: - - W W D
MONZA: - - L L L

The Giallorossi’s draw at Juventus last time out means Jose Mourinho’s men are one of six unbeaten sides at the top of the table all stationed on seven points (W2, D1, L0).

That 1-1 stalemate was also the first time Roma have conceded so far this season, while the visit of Monza could see Andrea Belotti make his debut for the club after signing at the weekend.

Monza sit at the other end of the spectrum to their Matchday 4 hosts after suffering defeat in all three of their matches since returning to the top-flight.

Their latest loss came as Udinese left the Stadio Brianteo with all three points and a 2-1 victory, despite Monza taking an early lead.

Possible Monza line-up

(3-5-2)

Di Gregorio; Caldirola, Marrone, Augusto; Birindelli, Colpani, Barberis, Sensi, Molina; Caprari, Petagna

LAST MEETING

DANGER MAN
Gianluca Caprari

Monza have scored just twice in their first three league games, with Mota on target on Matchday 1 and Colpani the man that opened the scoring against Udinese.

Yet to find the back of the net in the league is Caprari, the former Roma academy product who joined on-loan from Verona in the summer.

Caprari made his senior debut for the Giallorossi and has since formed a fairly nomadic career that included collecting an Italy cap in June.

He has scored in the Coppa Italia this season - Monza’s sole victory of 2022-23 so far - and also teed up Colpani last weekend.

MATCH STATS

These two have previously met on just three occasions; Roma won 2-0 away and 1-0 at home to Monza in the 1951-52 Serie A campaign - while Monza claimed a 2-1 Coppa Italia victory in 1988.

The Giallorossi have lost only one of their last 43 Serie A matches against newly promoted teams (W36, D6, L1), and their last home defeat against such opponents was back in May 2015.

Victory would see Roma collect 10 points from their first four top-flight matches of a campaign for the first time since Serie A’s 2014-15 edition when they took 12 from 12.

Roma are unbeaten in their last nine Serie A home games (W5, D4) and they could make it 10 in a row for the first time since February 2021, when they enjoyed a 16-game spell without defeat at the Olimpico.

PLAYER STATS

• Tammy Abraham scored four goals in his first four games against newly promoted sides, but has failed to score in the last three.
  
• Abraham struck his first league goal of the season last time out to take him to 18 Serie A goals, which is a number only bettered by two of his countrymen; David Platt (31) and Gerry Hitchens (58).
  
• Belotti joins Roma having found the back of the net 106 times in 207 appearances in Italy’s top-flight over the course of his career.
  
• Caprari played four matches with Roma in Serie A, with his first three all coming at the Olimpico. He has gone on to score four times against his former team.

WHAT THEY SAID

“Roma’s strength is the unity of the group, they have the kind of characteristics that great teams have. It will be very difficult.

"Roma is a team that among other things is used to playing twice a week. I don’t know if there will be any changes in their line-up, but we have to expect all eventualities.”

- Stroppa on the eve of the match