Juventus found it tougher than expected to break down Monza, as after Moise Kean and Mattia Valoti headers, Federico Chiesa scored a wonderful curler for his first goal since the injury, booking a Coppa Italia quarter-final against Lazio.
The Bianconeri made their first appearance since the 5-1 defeat to Napoli and the end of Andrea Agnelli’s Presidency. Coach Max Allegri was sitting out a touchline ban with Dusan Vlahovic, Paul Pogba, Juan Cuadrado, Leonardo Bonucci, Mattia De Sciglio and Kaio Jorge injured. Monza had beaten Juve in Serie A, but here missed Dany Mota Carvalho, Gianluca Caprari and suspended Samuele Birindelli.
Samuel Iling Junior immediately flew down the left and set up a chance that Nicolò Fagioli volleyed just wide, so Juve broke the deadlock with another well-worked move. Fagioli and Matias Soule emerged from midfield, allowing Weston McKennie to whip a first-time cross in from the right for Moise Kean’s glancing header into the far bottom corner.
However, McKennie was at fault for the equaliser, as he failed to cut out the Andre Colpani corner, allowing Mattia Valoti a free header at the near post into the roof of the net.
Iling drilled wide of the near post and Alessio Cragno pushed a Soule strike wide, while Fabio Miretti lost his balance when trying to cut back past Valoti on the stroke of half-time.
Filippo Ranocchia tested Mattia Perin from distance, but Kean hesitated on an inspired Danilo slide-rule pass and allowed Cragno to come flying out to parry with his body.
Colpani wasted a couple of chances for Monza, while Federico Chiesa and Kean had a misunderstanding when clear on goal. Kean had the ball in the back of the net on 76 minutes, but was offside as he met the rebound on a McKennie shot palmed onto the crossbar.
Juventus restored their lead soon after, as Chiesa cut inside from the left despite having his shirt tugged and placed a right-foot curler into the far corner. It was his first goal since January 2022, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament 378 days ago.
Monza poured forward and Arkadiusz Milik saw a shot charged down from Manuel Locatelli’s cross, then Di Maria wasted a golden opportunity to seal it with a pointless rabona finish straight at Cragno.
Juventus 2-1 Monza
Kean 8 (J), Valoti 25 (M), Chiesa 78 (J)