Inter turn San Siro comeback into statement victory against returning Monza

Inter began their defence of the Serie A title with a convincing 4-1 win over Monza at San Siro on Saturday, recovering from a first-half setback to make an emphatic start to the 2026-27 campaign.

The reigning champions took control from the opening stages and went ahead after only six minutes. Andy Diouf found Hakan Calhanoglu outside the penalty area, and the midfielder responded with a powerful strike that flew beyond the Monza goalkeeper.

Although Inter continued to dominate possession and dictate the tempo, Monza produced a response in the 29th minute. Matisse Mo played the ball through to Gustavo Varela, who showed composure inside the area, evaded Manuel Akanji and guided his finish into the left-hand corner of the home goal.

That equaliser ensured the sides went into half-time level at 1-1, despite Inter’s strong opening and sustained pressure.

Inter restored their lead just three minutes after the restart. A cross from Federico Dimarco caused confusion in the Monza defence, and a poor clearance by the goalkeeper left the ball in the path of Piotr Zielinski. The Poland international made no mistake as he finished into an unguarded net.

The second goal shifted the momentum decisively in Inter’s favour. The hosts continued to push forward and extended their advantage in the 55th minute, when Francesco Pio Esposito converted Diouf’s cross with an inventive back-heeled finish.

Esposito’s contribution gave Inter greater control of the contest, but the home side were not finished. Yann Bisseck completed the scoring eight minutes later, striking from inside the penalty area after receiving a pass from Esposito.

Monza attempted to reduce the deficit during the closing stages, but could not create a route back into the match. Inter came close to adding a fifth in the 67th minute when Akanji met a cross with a header, only for his effort to hit the crossbar.

The result gives Cristian Chivu’s side an ideal opening to their title defence and underlines their attacking strength after turning a 1-1 half-time scoreline into a three-goal victory.

For Monza, the match marked their return to Italy’s top flight, but their comeback to Serie A ended in a heavy defeat. They had shown enough to trouble Inter before the break, yet struggled to contain the champions once Zielinski put the hosts back in front.

Calhanoglu’s early strike set the tone at San Siro, while goals from Zielinski, Esposito and Bisseck ensured Inter closed the opening round with a result that sends an early warning to their rivals.