(Football news) Even though Juventus won the Coppa Italia last season and will participate in the Champions League again the following year, their league campaign has not gone well, leading to the firing of former manager Max Allegri.
Juventus asked former defender Paolo Montero to take over as the team’s primavera and calm the ship after the shocking dismissal of one of their most successful coaches, which happened after a highly public meltdown following the cup final.
Allegri’s quick departure left the Bianconeri without a manager at the end of another rocky season, despite the fact that he had led Juve to victory in Rome, defeating Atalanta BC 1-0 to win the Coppa for the 15th time in their history.
Early in 2024, Juventus were hot on the heels of eventual champions Inter Milan, but since February they have barely been able to buy a win, drawing the last five league games of Allegri’s less successful second spell and winning just two from 15.
Against Bologna last time out, Juve met the veteran coach’s likely successor Thiago Motta, with the two teams locked together on points in a duel for third place: Montero’s side initially slumped to a three-goal deficit at Stadio Dall’Ara, but they bravely fought back and Kenan Yildiz struck a late leveller.
Throughout their Serie A history, the Turin giants have only once before recorded a run of seven consecutive draws – back in 1971 – but matching that streak on Saturday would be enough to overtake Bologna; however, fellow podium contenders Atalanta BC still have two games in hand.
Juventus famously lost their only previous home match against Monza in the top flight, and another slip-up this weekend would end a below-par season in frustrating fashion.
Monza made quite an impact by doing the double over Juve last term, though they did lose the teams’ most recent encounter in December, when both sides scored during stoppage-time in a 2-1 Juve win.
Like their hosts, the Biancorossi have endured a difficult conclusion to the 2023-24 campaign – just their second at Calcio’s elite level.
Beaten 1-0 at home by relegation-threatened Frosinone last time out, Raffaele Palladino’s men are one of only two teams winless in their last eight Serie A matches, recording three draws and five defeats along the way.
Though they are guaranteed to finish 12th – after 11th-placed Genoa beat Bologna on Friday night – there is no doubt that disappointment will be the overriding emotion, given a first top-half finish had seemed to be on the cards.
A winger with Juventus during his playing days, Palladino has nonetheless forged a competitive squad that will be soon back on the start line for another year in Serie A – and winning again at the Allianz Stadium would certainly put a more positive sheen on their season.
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