Ten-man Juventus beat Monza 2-0 to move up to fourth
Juventus vs Monza
Juventus inched closer to securing a coveted top-four finish in Serie A with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Monza at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday, a result that showcased the Turin giants’ resilience despite playing the entire second half with 10 men following a reckless red card to young star Kenan Yildiz. The match, played under the floodlights in front of a passionate home crowd, saw Juventus assert their dominance early through first-half goals from Nicolas Gonzalez and Randal Kolo Muani, whose clinical strikes underscored the team’s attacking intent under new manager Igor Tudor. Gonzalez, the Argentine winger, opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a spectacular long-range effort that left Monza’s goalkeeper Stefano Turati grasping at thin air, while Kolo Muani, the French forward on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, doubled the lead in the 33rd minute with a composed finish from the edge of the box. However, the complexion of the game shifted dramatically in first-half stoppage time when Yildiz, a rising star in Juventus’s ranks, was sent off for violent conduct after a VAR-confirmed elbow on Monza’s Alessandro Bianco, leaving the hosts to navigate the second half with a numerical disadvantage. Despite the setback, Juventus held firm, their defensive resolve ensuring that Monza, languishing at the bottom of the Serie A table with just 15 points, could not capitalize on their possession dominance. The victory propelled Juventus provisionally into fourth place with 62 points, two points clear of fifth-placed Bologna, who were set to face Udinese on Monday, while Monza’s defeat left them staring down the barrel of relegation, their fate potentially sealed later that day if Lecce managed an upset against third-placed Atalanta.
The Allianz Stadium was a cauldron of anticipation as Juventus took to the pitch, the fans buoyed by the prospect of reclaiming a top-four spot after a midweek stumble that had seen Tudor’s unbeaten run come to an abrupt end with a 1-0 defeat at lowly Parma. That loss, a rare blemish in Tudor’s tenure since taking over earlier in the season, had dropped Juventus out of the Champions League qualification places, intensifying the pressure to deliver against a Monza side that had won just two league games all season. The Turin faithful, ever expectant despite the club’s transitional phase following years of dominance, roared their team on from the opening whistle, their chants echoing through the stadium as Juventus started with a vibrancy that suggested they were determined to make amends for their midweek lapse. The hosts’ attacking intent was evident from the outset, with Kolo Muani nearly opening the scoring in the fifth minute. The French striker, whose loan move to Juventus had been met with skepticism, showcased his athleticism with a breathtaking overhead kick that had the crowd on its feet, only for Turati to gratefully gather the effort, which was struck straight at him. The early chance set the tone for Juventus’s dominance, their high pressing and fluid interplay overwhelming Monza’s fragile defense, which had been the leakiest in Serie A all season. The breakthrough arrived in the 11th minute, and it was a moment of individual brilliance from Gonzalez. Collecting a precise pass from Renato Veiga, the Argentine winger took a touch to set himself before unleashing a low, long-range strike that skidded off the turf, bouncing just in front of the diving Turati and nestling inside the left post. The Allianz Stadium erupted, the goal a cathartic release for a team and fanbase desperate to reclaim their place among Serie A’s elite, and Gonzalez, celebrating his second league goal of the season, sprinted towards the Curva Sud, his arms outstretched in defiance.
Juventus’s momentum showed no signs of abating, and Kolo Muani, eager to prove his worth, came agonizingly close to doubling the lead in the 23rd minute. Latching onto a deft through ball from midfielder Manuel Locatelli, the Frenchman found himself in a tight angle but fired a shot that grazed the outside of the post, drawing groans from the home fans. However, Kolo Muani’s persistence paid off just past the half-hour mark, when he finally found the net to put Juventus in firm control. The goal stemmed from a well-orchestrated move, with Douglas Luiz’s incisive pass finding Kolo Muani on the edge of the box. The 26-year-old, whose six goals since joining Juventus in late January had silenced some of his critics, took a touch to steady himself before slotting a low strike inside the far post, beyond Turati’s despairing dive. The Allianz Stadium roared once more, the fans sensing that their team was on the cusp of a comfortable victory. Yet, as the first half drew to a close, Juventus’s dominance was overshadowed by a moment of madness from Yildiz, the 19-year-old Turkish forward who had become a beacon of hope for the club’s future. In first-half stoppage time, Yildiz, frustrated by a robust challenge from Monza’s Alessandro Bianco, lashed out with an elbow that caught the midfielder in the face. The incident, initially missed by referee Marco Di Bello, was reviewed by VAR, and Yildiz was shown a straight red card, leaving Juventus to face the second half with 10 men. The Allianz Stadium fell into a stunned silence, the fans’ earlier jubilation replaced by anxiety as Yildiz, facing a potential two-game ban that could rule him out of crucial upcoming matches against Bologna and Lazio, trudged off the pitch, his head bowed in shame.
The second half was a test of Juventus’s character, as Tudor reshuffled his side to compensate for the numerical disadvantage, sacrificing an attacker for an additional defender to shore up the backline. Monza, sensing an opportunity to claw their way back into the contest, swung the pendulum of possession in their favor, their players buoyed by the prospect of exploiting Juventus’s depleted ranks. The visitors, under the guidance of their embattled manager Alessandro Nesta, pushed forward with renewed vigor, their wingers, Daniel Maldini and Georgios Kyriakopoulos, stretching Juventus’s defense with their pace and directness. Yet, for all their territorial dominance, Monza lacked the cutting edge to breach Juventus’s reorganized backline, marshaled superbly by captain Danilo and the imposing Gleison Bremer. A rare chance fell to Monza’s veteran striker Milan Đurić, who rose highest to meet a pinpoint cross from Kyriakopoulos, only for his header to sail over the bar, drawing a collective sigh of relief from the Juventus faithful. The hosts, content to sit deep and absorb pressure, relied on counter-attacks to keep Monza honest, with Gonzalez and substitute Francisco Conceição providing outlets on the flanks. Conceição, introduced to inject pace, nearly sealed the game with a curling effort that forced Turati into a sprawling save, a moment that reminded Monza of Juventus’s lingering threat despite their numerical inferiority.
As the clock ticked down, Juventus’s defensive discipline held firm, their resolve a testament to Tudor’s tactical acumen and the players’ determination to secure a vital three points. Monza, despite their possession, grew increasingly frustrated, their lack of quality in the final third a stark reminder of why they had won just two league games all season. The final whistle sparked scenes of relief rather than jubilation at the Allianz Stadium, the fans applauding their team’s resilience while casting anxious glances towards the upcoming fixtures that would define their season. The victory, while not a vintage performance, was a crucial step towards securing Champions League qualification, with Juventus now two points clear of Bologna and preparing for a pivotal clash against their top-four rivals next weekend. For Monza, the defeat was another nail in their relegation coffin, their hopes of survival hanging by a thread as they awaited the outcome of Lecce’s match against Atalanta. The Allianz Stadium, bathed in the glow of the floodlights, stood as a testament to Juventus’s enduring ambition, but the road ahead remained fraught with challenges, not least the absence of Yildiz, whose moment of indiscipline had cast a shadow over an otherwise triumphant evening. As the players left the pitch, the Turin night air carried a sense of cautious optimism, a belief that Juventus, under Tudor’s guidance, could yet reclaim their place among Serie A’s elite.
