With a stunning goal by Patrick Cutrone at 96’, Monza defeated Juve Stabia 2-1 in the second leg of the Serie BKT playoff semifinal, securing a place in the two-legged final against either Catanzaro or Palermo. Just 180 minutes away from the dream of Serie A after an emotion-filled night sealed by the striker’s brace.
Three days after the 2-2 draw at the Menti, the two teams faced each other again and at 2’ the first chance came for the Brianzoli. Dany Mota burst down the left and crossed to the far post where Colpani narrowly missed the 1-0 with a header. Monza made an aggressive start and pinned the Campanians back, going close again at 4’. After a prolonged attacking move, Colombo unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that Confente saved. The biancorossi thought they had scored at 12’ when Dany Mota found the net after the Juve Stabia goalkeeper parried Colpani’s effort, but everything was stopped for offside against the Portuguese forward. Juve Stabia struggled to raise the tempo despite needing a win to advance. Meanwhile, the Brianzoli kept attacking. At 22’ Birindelli tested Confente with a deflected right-footed shot. At 26’ Azzi cut inside from the left and narrowly missed the top corner with a fierce strike. The deadlock remained despite Monza’s clear dominance. Petagna unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty after being held inside the Juve Stabia box at 36’. Juve Stabia opted for caution and the first half ended 0-0.
The second half opened with a powerful run from Azzi, who was stopped at the last moment for a corner. At 57’ coach Paolo Bianco made a triple substitution, bringing on Lucchesi, Hernani and Cutrone. The Brazilian midfielder, newly introduced, tried directly from a corner kick with a dangerous trajectory that Confente pushed away from the near post at 63’. Monza stepped up the pressure, driven on by more than ten thousand fans inside U-Power Stadium. At 69’ Cutrone’s shot was deflected behind for a corner by a Juve Stabia defender, saving his team. The number 10 fired up the biancorosso crowd, already sensing the goal. At 77’ Azzi came close with a back-post header from a brilliant cross by Pessina. Bianco then introduced Alvarez as Monza’s fourth substitution. The substitute, on his birthday, nearly gave himself the perfect present at 82’, narrowly missing the target from a Cutrone assist. Bianco made one final change at 84’, sending on Ravanelli.
The breakthrough came just seconds later and it was Cutrone who produced a moment of brilliance. The assist came from Bakoune, who brilliantly burst down the right and picked out the number 10, who controlled the ball, rounded both a defender and Confente, and rolled it into the empty net at 85’. It seemed over, but at 90’ Burnete produced a superb left-footed strike for 1-1, restoring hope for Juve Stabia. The finale turned fiery as the Vespe pushed forward. Thiam made an instinctive save. Then at 94’ a dramatic counterattack with Confente far off his line opened the way for Alvarez, who narrowly missed making it 2-1. The spectacular long-range finish into the empty net was instead scored by a rampant Cutrone, who at 96’ punished Confente with a strike from distance to make it 2-1.
It was pure ecstasy at U-Power Stadium for Cutrone’s sixth crucial goal in biancorosso, sending the Curva Pieri into delirium. Monza are through to the final. Their opponents will be either Catanzaro or Palermo, with the first leg away on Sunday 24th May at 8:00 PM and the return leg at the U-Power Stadium on Friday 29th May at the same time.
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