Inter Milan Defeat Monza 4-1 as John Stones Makes Serie A Debut

Inter Milan opened their Serie A title defense with a 4-1 win against Monza featuring goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Piotr Zielinski.

Inter Milan secured a 4-1 victory against newly promoted Monza at San Siro to launch their Serie A title defense. Hakan Calhanoglu opened the scoring early for the champions, followed by second-half strikes from Piotr Zielinski, Francesco Pio Esposito, and Yann Bisseck. Monza’s lone response came from Portuguese forward Gustavo Varela, who equalized in the 29th minute before the home side pulled away after the interval.

The scoring began when Andy Diouf provided an assist for Calhanoglu on the edge of the penalty area. The Turkey midfielder struck a right-footed shot into the roof of the net to give Cristian Chivu’s side the lead. While Nicolò Barella nearly doubled the advantage shortly after, Monza converted their first attempt on goal. Varela drilled an angled finish into the bottom corner from inside the box to level the score at 1-1. Following the equalizer, Varela missed a chance to take the lead by heading wide, while Federico Dimarco and Esposito both threatened the Monza goal before halftime. Barella also sent a shot over the crossbar during this period of play.

Rapid Second-Half Scoring Surge

Inter regained control by scoring two goals within seven minutes of the restart. In the 48th minute, Piotr Zielinski reacted quickest to a loose ball following a corner to make it 2-1. The lead was extended to 3-1 when Francesco Pio Esposito swept the ball home from close range, benefiting from a second assist by Diouf. The momentum continued in the 63rd minute as Esposito turned provider, setting up Yann Bisseck to fire a shot into the top corner from the center of the penalty area.

Following the fourth goal, Manuel Akanji nearly added a fifth but his header from a Federico Dimarco cross struck the woodwork. Monza became increasingly ragged as the match progressed, though goalkeeper Josep Martínez was forced into action to stop a low effort from Samuele Birindelli. Nicolas Galazzi also missed the target for the visitors as the game entered its closing stages.

John Stones Debut and Squad Details

England defender John Stones made his Inter Milan debut as a 75th-minute substitute, replacing Manuel Akanji. Stones was the only one of three recent English signings to feature in the matchday squad, as Curtis Jones and Djed Spence were not included by Chivu. Despite their absence, the champions remained dominant, recording a comfortable three-goal margin of victory.

In the final moments of the match, Esposito had an opportunity to score his second goal and Inter’s fifth, but he headed wide during added time. The result leaves Inter with three points following the opening day of the season, while Monza leaves San Siro without a point despite Varela's first-half equalizer. The home side finished the contest having successfully navigated their first hurdle as defending champions.