The prize of a place in the top flight draws nearer for both Brescia and Monza on Wednesday evening, as they meet in the first leg of their Serie B playoff semi-final.
While the hosts overcame Perugia last weekend, at the first stage of the process, their Lombardy rivals finished one place above them in the regular season and enter the semis directly.
Match preview
Qualifying for the playoffs by virtue of a fifth-placed finish in Italy's second tier, Brescia ultimately came just two points short of sealing automatic promotion to Serie A, amid a hectic race for a top-two place.
A well-organised outfit under coach Eugenio Corini, the Biancazzurri came through a tense preliminary match with Perugia on Saturday, booking their semi-final spot with a 3-2 extra-time win sealed by Flavio Bianchi's 118th-minute goal.
They now continue the path towards a top-flight return with their second game at Stadio Mario Rigamonti in the space of a few days; with the aim of taking a lead down the road to nearby Monza next weekend.
That will be all the more crucial for Brescia, as though the away goals rule does not apply, if the tie ends level on aggregate then the team that finished higher in the table goes straight through to the final - and it is Wednesday's visitors who hold that advantage.
Having had time to digest their narrow failure to go up automatically, Monza - who were fourth in the standings - will be intent on making the playoff final, of which the first leg is on May 26.
Lecce and Cremonese claimed the top two spots in Serie B to pip the Biancorossi to direct promotion, but the club's ownership pairing of Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani - one of the most successful partnerships in Calcio history, having won 29 trophies with Milan - will not settle for anything less than a place in the elite.
After they lost to Cittadella in the semi-finals last year, this time Monza are faced by opponents who they took four points from during the league season - most recently drawing 1-1 at home to Brescia last month.
Head coach Giovanni Stroppa - who was in charge for part of Crotone's disastrous Serie A stay last term - is the man charged with leading the Brianzoli to the promised land, and will have to pick his side up after losing 1-0 to Perugia on the final day.
Monza have never before reached the top tier of Italian football, but the Lombardy club have been elevated into the limelight by such illustrious owners, and the pressure is on to now deliver on their significant investment.
- D
- W
- D
- D
- L
- W
- W
- D
- D
- L
- W
- W
- W
- D
- D
- L
- W
- L
Team News
© Reuters
While youngsters Giacomo Olzer and Lorenzo Andreoli are set to miss out for Brescia on Wednesday, Eugenio Corini is expected to have the rest of his squad available.
Veteran striker Rodrigo Palacio should lead the line in attack, but Saturday's match-winning substitute Flavio Bianchi - currently on loan from Genoa - will also hope to feature from the start, alongside Stefano Moreo.
Finland goalkeeper Jesse Joronen again takes his place as the hosts' last line of defence, behind Corini's favoured 4-3-1-2 formation.
Monza, meanwhile, are set to start with three at the back; Giovanni Stroppa's defence being helmed by former Brescia centre-back Luca Caldirola.
Danish striker Christian Gytkjaer - who scored nine times during the regular season - is favourite to start up front, supported by either Dany Mota or the well-travelled Ryder Matos.
Brescia possible starting lineup:
Joronen; Sabelli, Cistana, Adorni, Pajac; Van Den Looi, Bisoli, Leris; Tramoni; Moreo, Palacio
Monza possible starting lineup:
Di Gregorio; Sampirisi, Caldirola, Augusto; Pereira, Mazzitelli, Colpani, Pepin, Molina; Gytkjaer, Mota
We say: Brescia 1-1 Monza
With only six league losses all season, allied to one of Serie B's best defensive records, Brescia will certainly be no pushovers for ambitious Monza over the coming days.
They do, however, have to recover shortly after an extra-time epic to reach this stage, while their opponents were able to rest, so may only manage a first-leg draw at Stadio Rigamonti.
For additional data used by our team to analyse our suggested result please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
