Preview: Roma vs. Monza - prediction, team news, lineups

Despite improved results this month, the Giallorossi still trail their visitors by a point in the Serie A standings and are already behind in Italy's top-four race.

Match preview

Either side of a Europa League victory over Swiss side Servette, Roma won their last two league matches before international football intervened, scoring six times and conceding only once.

Successes against promoted pair Frosinone and Cagliari - the latter featuring a brace from new talisman Romelu Lukaku - brought the Giallorossi as many wins as from their previous 14 Serie A fixtures, and they can now aim to post three straight league wins for only the second time this year.

Although Jose Mourinho's men sit just above arch-rivals Lazio in the standings, they remain several points adrift of the leading pack, so will want to make the most of home advantage this week before visiting Inter at San Siro.

Roma's form has been sketchy outside the Eternal City, but at Stadio Olimpico they have kept the most home clean sheets of any Serie A club in 2023 (nine) - across Europe's top five leagues, only Barcelona (12) have recorded more.

Since the first ball was kicked this season, only Scudetto-holders Napoli have faced fewer shots than Mourinho's well-drilled side, who will resume their European campaign with the first game of a double-header against Sparta Prague next Thursday.

First, though, they seek to continue an unbeaten record versus Monza in Serie A, having taken four points from the clubs' meetings last term: a 3-0 win at the Olimpico, in which Paulo Dybala scored his first Roma goals, and a 1-1 away draw in May.

While they have yet to get the better of Sunday's hosts since finally reaching the top flight, Monza have taken several other big scalps - most notably, those of Juventus and Inter - and they have continued to impress during their second season at Calcio's elite level.

Already, the Biancorossi have accrued 12 points - five more than at this stage of their debut Serie A campaign - and they find themselves much closer to the top four than the bottom three.

Following a 3-0 victory over Salernitana last time out, Monza not only remain unbeaten at home but they have also avoided defeat anywhere since early September, and a combination of superb stats at either end of the pitch exhibit exactly why.

After eight rounds, only title-chasers Napoli and Inter had attempted more shots than Raffaele Palladino's team, and goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio has not been beaten for some 348 minutes - the longest ongoing run without conceding a goal throughout Europe's top five leagues.

While it may be asking a lot to keep Lukaku and co in check for a full 90 minutes this weekend, Monza could now record four consecutive clean sheets for the first time in their brief Serie A history, and even if they fail, the Lombardy club are surely top-half contenders once again.

Roma Serie A form:

L

W

D

L

W

W

Roma form (all competitions):

W

D

L

W

W

W

Monza Serie A form:

L

D

D

D

W

W

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Team News

While Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini remains unavailable and will miss Sunday's game with a hip injury, and Paulo Dybala is also sidelined, Jose Mourinho has been handed better news about key defender Chris Smalling.

The latter made his return to full training this week, but after overcoming tendonitis the absence-prone centre-back may not be recalled to the starting lineup until midweek or next week's big clash with Inter.

Up front, Andrea Belotti should deputise for Dybala alongside Romelu Lukaku, who averages one goal every 87 minutes for the Giallorossi this season - the Belgian's best such ratio since 2011-12.

However, he will have to beat Michele Di Gregorio to maintain that rate, and Monza's goalkeeper boasts the best save percentage in the top five European leagues this term (83%).

Armando Izzo may be passed fit following a knee injury and would improve the visitors' defensive options, but Danilo D'Ambrosio is set to keep his place in Raffaele Palladino's back three.

Reports have stated that recent free signing Papu Gomez is facing a long doping ban for an offence dating back to his time with Sevilla, while Gianluca Caprari (ACL) is a long-term absentee.

Roma possible starting lineup:

Patricio; Mancini, Cristante, Ndicka; Karsdorp, Aouar, Paredes, Bove, Spinazzola; Belotti, Lukaku

Monza possible starting lineup:

Di Gregorio; D'Ambrosio, Mari, Caldirola; Pereira, Pessina, Gagliardini, Ciurria; Colpani, Vignato; Colombo

We say: Roma 1-0 Monza

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