Monza showed off their maturity and control when they hosted Salernitana, cruising to a relaxed 3-0 win over the visitors.
The Biancorossi have looked solid in the early stages of the new season, picking up nine points from their first seven games, and they were feeling confident coming off a 1-0 win over Sassuolo at the start of this week.
Paulo Sousa’s Salernitana have failed to show their best this term and find themselves in the relegation zone after almost two months of action, failing to secure a single victory. The Campania outfit had hoped to turn things around in Lombardy, but their hosts had other ideas.
Andrea Colpani gave Monza 1-0 lead after just nine minutes, starting an impressive dribble from the midfield before darting into the box and placing his shot in the far corner.
Not even 10 minutes later, Raffaele Palladino’s outfit doubled their advantage through Samuele Vignato, who latched onto the end of a Roberto Gagliardini pass and poked the ball between the legs of Guillermo Ochoa, giving Monza a 2-0 lead.
The home side then switched gears and started to control their advantage, taking less risks and playing a little safer in possession. Clever defensive work limited Salernitana’s chances, frustrating Sousa’s side, whose closest chance came when Antonio Candreva’s shot hit the post.
The Biancorossi secured their victory in the 82nd minute with a Matteo Pessina penalty, closing out an impressive afternoon for Monza. They almost found a fourth when a heroic overhead kick from Gagliardini ricocheted off the crossbar in the dying minutes.
The defeat leaves Salernitana in an incredibly difficult spot, deep in the relegation zone, piling the pressure on Sousa.