A screamer, a wobble, then fifteen minutes that settled it at San Siro
Inter led inside six minutes, got pegged back by a promoted side, and then scored three times between the 48th and the 63rd. The title defence starts with a 4-1 that flattered nobody but the scoreline.
Six minutes in, Hakan Çalhanoglu picked the ball up 25 yards out, hit it, and San Siro barely had time to sit down. Andy Diouf had done the spadework. The champions were ahead before the opening day had really started.
Then it went quiet. Monza, up from Serie B and short of bodies through injury and suspension, kept their shape and waited. On 29 minutes Gustavo Varela took a Mathis Mout pass and finished from an angle. 1-1 at the break, and the noise in the ground had changed.
Fifteen minutes, three goals
Whatever was said at half time worked immediately. Piotr Zielinski restored the lead at 48' with a chip. Pio Esposito made it 3-1 at 55', flicking in a back-heel at the near post from another Diouf delivery — the sort of finish you either try or you do not.
Yann Bisseck headed the fourth at 63', set up by Esposito. Fifteen minutes, three goals, game over. John Stones came on for Manuel Akanji at 75' for his Inter debut; Curtis Jones and Djed Spence were not available.
The underlying numbers are worth a second look before anyone declares this a statement. Inter had 70% of the ball and 628 accurate passes to Monza's 231 — but the expected goals read 1.16 to 1.09. Monza created chances. Inter simply took theirs, and Monza did not.
Match facts
- 6' — Hakan Çalhanoglu (Inter), assist Andy Diouf
- 29' — Gustavo Varela (Monza), assist Mathis Mout
- 48' — Piotr Zielinski (Inter)
- 55' — Pio Esposito (Inter), assist Andy Diouf
- 63' — Yann Bisseck (Inter), assist Pio Esposito
- 75' — John Stones on for Manuel Akanji, his Inter debut
| Stat | Inter | Monza |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 70% | 30% |
| Total shots | 13 | 7 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 3 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.16 | 1.09 |
| Accurate passes | 628 (89%) | 231 (79%) |
| Corners won | 3 | 3 |
| Fouls committed | 5 | 14 |
| Saves | 2 | 1 |
What's next
Inter go to Cagliari on Sunday 30 August, the second away day of a season that has barely begun. Monza host Udinese on Saturday 29 August — their first home game back in Serie A, and a far better guide to what this side can actually do.
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