Monza are coming off a brutal opening-day reality check. Ivan Jurić's side went to the San Siro and got dismantled by Inter, the champions, in a 4-0 defeat that exposed every structural weakness in their new 3-4-2-1. That is not a disaster in isolation — Inter are a different species — but the manner of it, the lack of resistance, the way they folded after the first goal, that lingers. Jurić is a fire-and-brimstone coach, but he cannot conjure belief from a squad that was outclassed in every duel. Monza looked short of ideas, short of legs, and short of the kind of nasty edge you need in a relegation scrap. At home, at the U-Power Stadium, they will be braver, but the scar tissue from that opening day is real.

Udinese, by contrast, started with a point against Como in a game they should have won. They created chances, they pressed well, and they looked organised under their 3-4-2-1 shape. The loss of key players like Atta and Kristensen hurt, but the spine is still there: Solet leads the defence, Zaniolo pulls the strings behind Keinan Davis, and the wing-back duo of Vojvoda and Kamara give them genuine width. They were not perfect — the finishing let them down — but the structure is sound. Momentum is a real thing in early-season football, and Udinese have it. Monza do not.