With the memory of the defeat at the Stadio Brianteo is still fresh in mind, Juventus will be looking to avenge themselves when they host Monza at the Allianz Stadium in the Coppa Italia Round of 16.
Thursday’s fixture will determine which side will advance to the Quarter-Finals to take on the winner between Lazio and Bologna.
Astonishingly, Milan and Napoli have both been eliminated in this round, so the Bianconeri wouldn’t want to become the third fallen giant.
Max Allegri will most likely ring some changes to the formation that suffered a disastrous defeat at the Maradona Stadium last Friday, and even Raffaele Palladino could mix things up in the formation.
So here are three Monza players that Juventus must look out for in order to avoid another defeat at the hands of the Serie A newcomers.
Alessio Cragno (Goalkeeper)
Once upon a time, Alessio Cragno was deemed to be the future of the Italian national team and the possible successor of Gianluigi Buffon. But perhaps the custodian lingered for too long at Cagliari.
Eventually, he left the Sardinians following their relegation to Serie B last season, but to his surprise, he found the brilliant Michele Di Gregorio in front of him in the pecking order, and rightfully so.
So if Cragno gets a rare chance to play against Juventus, he’ll be looking to make the most of it and perhaps attract some suitors in the process.
Samuele Birindelli (Right-Back)
A right-back with the Birindelli last name. If it sounds familiar to you, then it’s because the 23-year-old is the son of Alessandro Birindelli who enjoyed a long spell at Juventus back in the day.
The young Samuele hasn’t always been a regular starter in Palladino’s formation, but he would certainly cherish the opportunity to make a case for himself against his father’s former employers.
Patrick Ciurria (Winger)
The man of the hour at Monza. The 27-year-old has been on a spectacular form recently, and he’ll certainly have a role to play against the Old Lady, whether as a starter or a super-sub.
Ciurria has a wide range of weapons in his arsenal, as he’s able to dribble past opponents, deliver sublime crosses or even finish chances himself.
Moreover, it was the winger who produced the assist for Monza’s winner against Juventus last September. So let’s hope he doesn’t replicate his heroics in Turin.
It would be funny to see Monza start Cragno instead of Di Gregorio in an important fixture. Besides, Pessina and Rovella are their most dangerous players