Cittadella vs Monza | All you need to know
On March 3, 2022 by Jake IovineFor the SEVENTH time in two seasons, Cittadella are up against Monza. Similar to the past ones, this match could potentially have massive playoff implications.
Cittadella once again host Monza for a pivotal match at the Stadio Piercesare Tombolato. Two teams fighting for a playoff spot, Monza have there upper hand on paper, but Cittadella have proved to be a thorn in the side for the Biancorossi.
Just nine months ago, a hat trick from Enrico Baldini crushed Monza’s promotion dream. A humiliating 3-0 defeat in the semi finals was the last time Monza visited the Tombolato for a Serie B related match. Their last visit for all comps? Cittadella beat them once again 2-1 thanks to goals from Mamadou Tounkara and Orji Okwonkwo.
But now Monza have their eyes set on revenge. With Cittadella just hanging in there with the playoff pack, a Monza victory can be a damaging result in the Granata‘s season.
Here’s some more about the teams.
Cittadella
Could we finally be seeing Cittadella get back into the form we all know and love? It’s starting to look like it.
Just one loss in the last five, Cittadella have showcased some massive performances in February, something that was massively needed. Thanks to wins against Lecce and Frosinone, followed by a solid point in Ferrara, Edoardo Gorini’s men are back into 8th place, hanging in there with 11 games to go.
It’s certainly not over yet, as Cittadella still have to play some important games up until May. But crunch time is approaching, and every point gained or lost is starting to become critical.
When you look at the table, Cittadella sit just three points behind Monza. With the table changing every week and teams dropping in and out, a win on Saturday could give the Granata a huge boost to their promotion ambitions. On top of that, beating Monza by two or more goals will decide the tiebreaker.
Cittadella have already beaten some of the top dogs in Serie B. These teams include Pisa, Frosinone, and Lecce. Another win for Gorini would set the bar high, but also give Cittadella confidence going into the final ten games.
Monza
Monza will be hoping this is the last time they see Cittadella for a while.
Against a familiar foe, Monza travel to Veneto once again for a matchup against Cittadella on Saturday. After already winning against the Granata last October–thanks to a 91′ winner by Marco D’Alessandro–Monza can claim the all important tiebreaker with just a draw on Saturday. This would give a massive cushion above Cittadella, should they be level on points towards the end of the season.
Despite being in terrific form to close out 2021, the new year has brought struggles to the Silvio Berlusconi owned team. The team has been inconsistent with results, and now are standing on one win in their last four.
Despite this, Monza have still a real opportunity to get back into the automatic promotion race. They sit six points adrift, but still play Brescia, Benevento, and Frosinone at the end of the season. Things could get interesting, but dropped points against Cittadella could see that dream fade.
Forward Dany Mota are among the prolific players in the Monza squad. Left back Carlos Augusto has always been a dangerous player against the Granata, and Mattia Valoti is the danger man to look out for, scoring 7 goals and assisting 3 this season.
Just narrowly scrapping a point against Parma at home, Monza are in need of a big performance Saturday afternoon. Similar to Cittadella, this game will no doubt have a say on the race to Serie A.