Goals on the menu at the Brianteo: Monza vs Napoli prediction – 28.10.2026
On Wednesday, October 28, Monza will host Napoli at the Stadio Brianteo in the ninth round of Serie A, with kick-off scheduled for 20:45 CET. Ivan Juric's team return home after another entertaining league game, while Napoli need a response after dropping points in a six-goal thriller against Roma.
Monza: Varela keeps delivering, but Juric's team remain extremely open
Monza's results have been unpredictable, but their matches have rarely been dull. They produced arguably their best performance of the season when they demolished Cagliari 4-0 at the Brianteo, only to lose 3-2 away to Torino four days later. The defeat in Turin once again underlined the main feature of Juric's side: Monza are capable of creating plenty going forward, but opponents are finding too many spaces when they attack them in transition.
The biggest positive is Gustavo Varela. The Portuguese striker scored again against Torino, finding the net for the third consecutive league match and taking his Serie A tally to seven goals. He has become the focal point of Monza's attack, with Jay Robinson and Dany Mota supporting him from the two attacking midfield positions.
There is enough speed and creativity in this front three to cause Napoli problems. Against Cagliari, Robinson scored and Varela struck twice, while against Torino Monza continued to create opportunities even after falling 3-1 behind.
Personnel-wise, Matteo Pessina remains out after his knee injury, while Jan Ziolkowski has also been dealing with a physical problem. The more encouraging news is that Patrick Ciurria and Idrissa Touré were both back in Juric's squad for the trip to Turin.
Napoli: plenty of attacking quality, but control remains a problem
Napoli's recent results tell a similar story. Massimiliano Allegri's team lost 1-0 away to Venezia, then responded by beating Bodø/Glimt 4-3 in the Champions League before drawing 3-3 with Roma at the Maradona. That means Napoli's last two competitive matches alone have produced 13 goals.
The Roma match was particularly frustrating. Napoli led 2-0 through Frank Anguissa and Scott McTominay, later went back in front at 3-2, but still failed to close the game out. McTominay scored twice and Matteo Politano was dangerous down the right, yet defensive mistakes again cancelled out some excellent attacking football.
Allegri will also miss the match from the technical area after being sent off at the end of the Roma game. His side have additional problems in defence: Benoît Badiashile suffered a muscular injury against Roma, while Alessandro Buongiorno continues his rehabilitation following knee surgery. David Neres and Alisson Santos are also recovering from hamstring injuries. Amir Rrahmani, however, is expected to be available again.
Even with those absences, Napoli still have considerable attacking depth. Rasmus Højlund should lead the line, with Politano and Noa Lang offering width, while Anguissa and McTominay provide a major threat with their runs from midfield.
Probable lineups
- Monza: Törnqvist; Goglichidze, Lucchesi, Carboni; Birindelli, Foe Ondoa, Akinsanmiro, Mangas; Dany Mota, Robinson; Varela.
- Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Rafa Marin, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Højlund, Lang.
Match facts and head-to-heads
- Varela has scored in three consecutive Serie A matches and already has seven league goals this season.
- Monza scored four against Cagliari and twice away to Torino in their last two league games.
- Napoli's last two competitive matches ended 4-3 and 3-3.
- Napoli have conceded seven goals across their last three matches in all competitions.
- Napoli have won the last three Serie A meetings with Monza: 1-0, 2-0 and 4-2.
Both teams have enough attacking weapons to turn this into another open game
Napoli are stronger individually and should create plenty against a Monza defence that has repeatedly struggled to control transitions. Højlund, Politano, Lang, McTominay and Anguissa give the visitors several different ways to threaten the penalty area.
However, backing Napoli purely on the result looks less attractive considering their current defensive instability. They have just surrendered three goals to Bodø/Glimt and another three to Roma, while Monza have scored six times in their last two Serie A matches and Varela is in outstanding form.
Juric's team are unlikely to sit deep for 90 minutes at home. Their aggressive approach should leave space for Napoli, but it can also expose a visiting defence missing several options. With both sides currently much more convincing going forward than without the ball, a match featuring at least three goals looks like the strongest angle.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals.
