Monza 1-2 Juventus: Wild finish as Federico Gatti scores late winner in Serie A clash

Federico Gatti’s sensational 94th-minute winner rescued victory for Juventus and ensured they move to the top of Serie A with a low-quality win over Monza, who thought they’d rescued a point just seconds earlier in injury time with Valentin Carboni’s long-range equaliser.

Adrien Rabiot was the Old Lady’s guardian angel on the outskirts of Milan, creating Gatti’s goal and initially putting his side into the lead mere moments after Dusan Vlahovic saw his penalty and follow-up saved by an inspired Michele Di Gregorio.

Juventus were the definition of complacency, lacking any form of intensity against their mid-table opponents who enjoyed more possession but never possessed a real cutting edge until Carboni’s introduction from the bench.

His equaliser wasn’t enough though, meaning Juventus move one point ahead of Inter Milan who take on Napoli on Sunday.

Monza made a superb start to their second-ever season of Serie A but that charge has stalled to the tune of one win in six matches and they’ll likely fall into the bottom half of the table come the end of the weekend after this result.

Juventus host Napoli next week so will hope their opponents put everything into taking down Inter Milan on Sunday, because the Old Lady will need all the help they can get based on the performance.

It was lacking in everything except the cutting edge provided by Rabiot, while Monza will rue allowing their opponents to snatch away the point Carboni had just earned.

They would’ve been good value for it too, staying positive throughout the game while all of Raffaele Palladino’s substitutions brought emphasis and vigour to the team. It wasn’t quite enough though, with Juventus belatedly showing a hunger that does their status as league leaders justice.

In the pouring rain outside of Milan, Juventus approached this game seemingly on a calorie-saving mission, such was their complacency throughout the 90 minutes.

They let their opponents take two-thirds of possession with Massimiliano Allegri’s side only pressing inside their own half, and Monza able to push the visitors back even further in the closing stages.

The frustration for Allegri will be that when his side did probe for extended periods they were able to open the hosts up, but those occasions were few and far between.

It was hardly a Juventus performance to put Serie A on notice, but it looked much worse when Carboni’s shot slid past Wojciech Szczesny and into the net, and at least they had the firepower to rescue the win.

Scorer of the first goal and creator of the second, his Juventus team-mates owe Rabiot two get-out-of-jail-free cards if there’s a game of monopoly on the journey back to Turin.

The 6’2″ midfielder showed real fight to complement his height and open the scoring after Di Gregorio’s masterpiece, just bossing the Monza defenders from a corner and steering a bullet header over the goalkeeper from point blank range.

His side took their foot off the gas from there – though in truth the pedal was hardly to the metal before that point either – and it took Carboni’s late goal to shake them out of their slump.

Rabiot was again the man to take command though, driving from the right into Monza’s box and picking out Gatti with a perfect ball.

The centre-back scuffed his first shot so badly it bobbled just a few inches though, and with the entire Monza defence on the ground having dived into a block, he had an empty net to fire into and secure the win.

Monza: Di Gregorio 7, D’Ambrosio 5, Pablo Mari 6, Caldirola 6, Birindelli 6, Gagliardini 5, Pessina 6, Kyriakopoulos 4, Ciurra 5, Machin 5, Colpani 6. Subs: Colombo 7, Pereira 7, V Carboni 7, A Carboni 7, Mota 6

Juventus: Szczesny 5, Cambiaso 7, Gatti 6, Bremer 6, Alex Sandro 6, Kostic 6, McKennie 6, Nicolussi 6, Rabiot 8, Vlahovic 5, Chiesa 7. Subs: Locatelli 6, Danilo 6, Milik 7, Kean 5

9’ – PENALTY JUVENTUS! Out of nowhere! Kyriakopoulos had both hands on Cambiaso’s right arm despite the cross floating away from the attack and Juventus have the chance to open the scoring here! That’s really poor defending, totally unnecessary and so obvious the referee could never ignore it, he gets the yellow card out too.

11’ – SAVED!!! WHAT THE- HOW DID HE- WHAT?!? Whatever Michele di Gregorio is being paid, he’s earned it all just there. He did fantastically to get down low right and save Vlahovic’s penalty, before springing back up and palming the follow-up round the post for a corner. That’s huge!

12’ – GOAL! Monza 0-1 Juventus (Rabiot): All that good work is undone immediately as Rabiot wins the aerial fight to fire a powerful header past Di Gregorio from close range. The goalkeeper had no chance and needed better from his defenders there.

90+1’ – GOAL! Monza 1-1 Juventus(Carboni): Juventus have been so laid-back since taking the lead and they pay the price!!! Valentin Carboni cuts inside Kean and lifts a shot-cross for Mota, who leaves the ball and it drops into the net!

90+2’ – GOAL! Monza 1-2 Juventus (Gatti): Heartbreak for Monza, Juve pressed forwards with Rabiot cutting into the box, his ball finds Gatti who scuffs his first attempt but lifts his second hit into the empty net.

• Six wins in seven games now for Juventus.
• Monza have the joint-lowest goals scored in the top half of Serie A, tied with Bologna who’ve played one fewer game.