Allegri on the sidelines
The biggest story around Napoli’s trip to Monza is not on the pitch. Head coach Massimiliano Allegri was sent off in the closing minutes of the 3-3 draw with Roma and has been handed a two-match Serie A suspension. That rules him out of the Monza game and the Juventus fixture on Sunday, according to [1].
The reports differ on the appeal. One says Napoli [2] but that the suspension stays in place while that is pending. Another says the club is [3]. Either way, Allegri will not be on the touchline for either match.
A suspended coach can still prepare the team in training and pick the squad, so the practical effect is limited to matchday. Napoli will have to manage substitutions, tactical tweaks and the mood in the technical area without him. That matters most in a game where the visitors are expected to dominate possession but cannot afford to be careless. Napoli have already shown they can concede late, as the Roma draw demonstrated.
Squad news: who is in, who is out
Two defenders are confirmed absentees. Benoît Badiashile has a medium-grade strain of the rectus femoris in his right leg and is likely to be out for around a month, [4]. Leonardo Spinazzola has a low-grade injury to the biceps femoris in his right thigh and is expected to miss the Monza game. The club has described that problem as minor.
There is better news in defence. Amir Rrahmani trained in full with the first-team group on Monday and has been named in the 20-man matchday squad, so he returns from injury at the right moment.
The likely line-up is less settled, and the following points are unconfirmed pre-match reports:
- Vanja Milinkovic-Savic could start in goal ahead of Alex Meret.
- Stanislav Lobotka is likely to return to the starting XI after beginning the weekend on the bench.
- Kevin De Bruyne is expected to be rested after two starts within the last week.
None of these has been confirmed by the club, and the reports put their confidence at roughly even odds. Rotation of this kind would fit a congested week, and Lobotka’s likely return would give the midfield its usual control.
Form heading into Wednesday
Napoli’s recent results are mixed. They are 10th in Serie A with 11 points from eight games (three wins, two draws, three defeats), with 13 goals scored and 10 conceded. The goal difference is positive, but the points total reflects too many dropped results.
The last five games show the pattern clearly:
- 24 October: 3-3 draw at home to Roma in Serie A, with [3] denying them a win.
- 20 October: 4-3 home win over FK Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League.
- 17 October: 1-0 defeat away to Venezia in Serie A.
- 13 October: 3-1 defeat away to Villarreal in the Champions League.
- 10 October: 3-0 home win over Frosinone in Serie A.
Napoli have scored in every one of those five matches except the Venezia defeat, and they have conceded in four of them. Their attack is producing goals, but the defence has been vulnerable, and with Badiashile and Spinazzola out, that is the area to watch at Monza.
What it means
Napoli sit 10th on 11 points from eight games, so a win at Monza would lift them into a healthier position before Sunday’s Juventus fixture. A defeat would add to a Serie A record that already includes three losses, including the 1-0 reverse at Venezia.
The form line says Napoli are capable of scoring: 13 goals in eight league games and 3, 4 and 3 in three of their last five matches. It also says they concede too easily, with 10 against in the league and a further seven in the two Champions League games they played. The Roma draw and the Bodø/Glimt win both involved three goals against, so a clean sheet should not be assumed.
The site’s forecast for the Monza game reflects that balance. It gives Napoli a 50.0% chance of winning, with the draw at 28.0% and a Monza win at 22.0%, and predicts a 1-2 scoreline. That points to a narrow away win in which Napoli score twice but still concede once.
The next fixture asks whether a rotated, coach-less Napoli can handle a game they are expected to win. If Milinkovic-Savic starts, Lobotka returns and De Bruyne rests, the changes are manageable, and Rrahmani’s return steadies the back line. Allegri’s absence then shifts the pressure onto the players to keep their discipline for 90 minutes.
Sources
- Football Italia: Serie A: Monza vs. Napoli – Probable line-ups and where to watch on TV football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Napoli launch appeal after confirmation of Allegri’s two-match suspension football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Official: Allegri confirms 20-man Napoli squad for Monza clash with two absences football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Napoli confirm injuries to Badiashile and Spinazzola but get one defender back football-italia.net ↩
