Juventus boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League by defeating bottom club Monza 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Sunday, despite playing the entire second half with 10 men. First-half goals from Nicolás González and Randal Kolo Muani secured the crucial victory.
Responding positively after suffering their first defeat under new coach Igor Tudor against Parma midweek, Juventus started strongly. Nicolás González opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a fine long-range strike that beat Monza goalkeeper Stefano Turati low to his left.
Randal Kolo Muani, starting in place of the injured Dušan Vlahović, missed an early overhead kick opportunity but made amends in the 33rd minute, coolly finishing from the edge of the box for his sixth goal since joining on loan from PSG in January.
Juventus suffered a major setback just before halftime when Turkish youngster Kenan Yıldız was shown a straight red card for violent conduct. Following a VAR review, Yıldız was dismissed for elbowing Monza midfielder Alessandro Bianco in the face.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Juventus defended resolutely in the second half. Monza, who remain bottom with only 15 points and just two league wins all season, struggled to create clear chances and could have their relegation confirmed later on Sunday depending on Lecce’s result against Atalanta.
Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny was rarely troubled as the hosts saw out the 2-0 win.
The victory provisionally lifts Juventus back into fourth place in Serie A with 62 points, two points ahead of Bologna who play Udinese on Monday.
Securing a top-four finish (or potentially top five, depending on coefficient rankings) is crucial for Juventus’s return to the Champions League. They face a key fixture away at Bologna next weekend, potentially without the suspended Yıldız.5
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