Monza v Napoli: Preview, predicted line-ups & team news

Monza have scored 15 goals in eight Serie A games and still sit 15th. That tells you most of what you need to know about their season so far. They put four past Cagliari on 19 October, then went to Torino four days later and lost 3-2. The hosts are three points clear of the relegation places, with Fiorentina, Parma and Venezia all on four points or fewer.

Napoli arrive in no better mood. They were 3-0 up at home against Roma on Saturday and still ended up drawing 3-3. A week earlier they lost 1-0 away at bottom-club Venezia. Wednesday night offers a chance to put both results behind them, against a side with the worst defensive record away from home in this match-up.

Monza's home form is the one thing keeping them afloat. They have won two of their three league games at home, scoring 8 goals (2.7 per game) and conceding 4. The 4-0 win over Cagliari is their biggest of the season. The problem is the other half of the campaign: they have lost four of five on the road and are yet to win away from home, conceding 14 goals in those five games.

Over their last eight league games Monza have won two, drawn one and lost five. They have scored in all eight, but kept just one clean sheet. That is a side that will create chances and give plenty back.

Napoli sit 10th on 11 points from eight games, with three wins, two draws and three defeats. They have kept three clean sheets in eight, which is better than Monza's one, and they concede 1.3 goals per game against the hosts' 2.3. At home they have scored 8 and conceded 5.

The issue has been consistency. Napoli have won once in their last five league games, and the Roma draw was the first time this season they have blown a three-goal lead. They are three points behind Frosinone in sixth and four behind Juventus in seventh, so a win keeps a European push alive. Defeat would drag them into the lower half of the table.

Across the last eight league games Monza have won two, drawn one and lost five, scoring 15 and conceding 18. Napoli have won three, drawn two and lost three, scoring 13 and conceding 10. The record is closer than the league table suggests, but the underlying numbers favour the visitors. Napoli average 1.89 expected goals for and concede 1.36, while Monza average 1.68 for and 1.36 against. Monza have, however, conceded 2.25 goals per game, well above their expected figure, which suggests either poor finishing against them or bad luck. Napoli's trend is downhill, with one win in their last four, so the form guide is less clear-cut than the odds imply.

Napoli are 10th with 11 points from eight games and a goal difference of +3. Monza are 15th with 7 points from eight and a goal difference of -3. That is a four-point gap, and it widens to seven if Napoli win and Monza lose.

The cushion for Monza is thin. They are three points above Fiorentina, Parma and Venezia, who are all in the bottom three. Defeat would not drop them into the relegation places on its own, but it would leave Monza with a single win from their last five. For Napoli, a victory would take them to 14 points, level with Frosinone in sixth and Juventus in seventh. A third league game without a win would leave them looking over their shoulders.

The two clubs have met six times. Napoli have won four, Monza one and one game was drawn. Those games have averaged 2.5 goals. Only one of the six, or 17 per cent, saw both sides score, while two, or 33 per cent, went over 2.5 goals. The most recent meeting was a 1-0 Napoli win at Monza on 19 April 2025.

The pattern is clear. This has not been a high-scoring fixture, and Monza have scored in only two of the six meetings. Both clubs look different this season, though. Monza's matches are producing goals at both ends (seven of their eight league games have gone over 2.5 and seven have featured both teams scoring), so the historic under-leaning H2H is unlikely to repeat. The correct-score market should lean towards a narrow Napoli win rather than a rout.

The biggest gap is defensive. Napoli concede 1.25 goals per game over their last eight league fixtures, Monza 2.25. Napoli have kept three clean sheets in that run, Monza one. If Monza cannot shut Napoli out, they need to score twice to get anything.

The second gap is control. Napoli average 51.3 per cent possession and 16.5 shots per game, against 45.1 per cent and 13.4 for Monza. The hosts have still managed 5.6 shots on target per game, only slightly below Napoli's 6.0, so they will test the visiting defence. Corners tell a similar story: Napoli win 5.9 per game and concede 5.1, while Monza win 4.3 and concede 4.8.

Monza have mostly played a 3-4-2-1 this season, and that shape is likely to continue. Napoli have used a 4-3-3 in four of their eight games and are short at the back, with A.

**Monza: E. Kouadio, V. Antov; S. Birindelli, Pedro Obiang, E. Akinsanmiro

Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Olivera; Lobotka, Anguissa, McTominay; Politano, R. Højlund, De Bruyne

The game kicks off at 19:45 GMT on Wednesday 28 October. It is shown on DAZN where selected. A UK broadcaster for any other channel has not been confirmed, and this page will be updated closer to kick-off if that changes.

The value sits in the goals markets. Monza have gone over 2.5 goals in seven of their eight league games and Napoli have been involved in 3-3 and 3-2 results in the last fortnight. The bet builder leans on Napoli taking the points while Monza find the net, a pattern backed by Monza's record of scoring in every league game this season.