Inter overcame a difficult first half to beat Monza 4-1.

Inter began their Serie A title defence with a statement, eventually sweeping aside Monza 4-1 after being made to work surprisingly hard in the first half.

The Nerazzurri arrived with plenty of expectations after winning the domestic double last season, but there were early signs that this would not be the routine victory many had expected.

Inter’s new signings were not yet ready to feature, with John Stones the only new arrival among the substitutes, while Djed Spence and Curtis Jones were left to greet the supporters.

A certain Scouser was in the stands tonight 👀 pic.twitter.com/rfms3KdNba

— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) August 22, 2026

Lautaro Martinez, celebrating his 29th birthday, led the line, but it was Hakan Calhanoglu who produced the moment of magic. Francesco Pio Esposito used his strength to hold off his marker before Andy Diouf pulled the ball back into the midfielder’s path.

Calhanoglu needed no second invitation, unleashing an unstoppable 25-yard strike into the roof of the net to give Inter the lead.

Monza refused to fold. Gustavo Varela had already shown his goalscoring instincts in the Coppa Italia and he was at it again, collecting Mathis Mout’s through ball before using his body brilliantly to get away from Manuel Akanji and firing into the far corner.

Suddenly, the champions were level and looking vulnerable.

Inter needed to rediscover their rhythm after the break, and they did exactly that. Federico Dimarco’s delivery caused chaos in the Monza box, with goalkeeper Samuele Pizzignacco failing to punch the ball clear. Piotr Zielinski was waiting on the edge of the area and made no mistake, sweeping the loose ball into the net to restore Inter’s advantage.

Then came the goal that stole the show.

Esposito had already impressed with his physicality, but his finish was pure audacity. Diouf worked his way towards the byline before pulling the ball across, and Esposito somehow managed to meet it with a cheeky backheel flick at the near post.

From an almost impossible angle, the ball found the net. 3-1 Inter.

The young forward was not finished. Esposito turned provider soon afterwards, holding the ball up before finding Yann Bisseck with a perfectly timed pass. The defender charged through the middle and finished past Pizzignacco, with a slight deflection helping the ball on its way into the net.

Monza were beaten, and Inter could have added a fifth when Akanji rose highest from another Dimarco corner, only to see his header crash against the crossbar.

WHAT A START TO THE SEASON 🤩 pic.twitter.com/XSplBWURt0

— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) August 22, 2026

It was not a perfect performance from Inter, particularly during a first half in which Monza exposed some weaknesses, but the response after the interval showed exactly why they are champions.