Inter Milan just kicked off their Serie A season with an explosive 4-1 victory over Monza, but let’s be real, it was a tale of two halves. After a shaky first 45 minutes, the reigning Domestic Double champions found their rhythm to absolutely dismantle their opponents. It was exactly the kind of statement win the Nerazzurri needed to start strong, even if it took some serious adjustments to get there.
The First Half Scare: Monza Shows Up to Play
Early on, it felt like Monza wasn’t here to just roll over. Yeah, Hakan Calhanoglu gave Inter a spectacular lead in the 6th minute, connecting with an unstoppable screamer from 25 yards out into the roof of the net, set up by Andy Diouf after Francesco Pio Esposito muscled off a defender. That goal was pure fire! But Monza hit back hard. Gustavo Varela, who already scored twice on his Coppa Italia debut, equalized in the 29th minute. He gathered a Mathis Mout through ball, used his body to turn Manuel Akanji, and drilled an angled shot into the far bottom corner. You gotta give it to Varela, he’s looking like a fine investment for Monza already. Nicolo Barella even skimmed the bar with a right-foot curler, showing Inter’s intent, but for a moment, it felt like Monza could actually make a game of it, especially with all the injuries and suspensions they were dealing with, missing key guys like Matteo Pessina and suspended Dany Mota Carvalho.
Second Half Surge: Inter Turns on the Style
Whatever Cristian Chivu said at halftime, it worked. Inter came out firing after the restart. Just three minutes into the second half, Piotr Zielinski swept in a rebound from the edge of the area after Monza’s Samuele Pizzignacco completely botched punching Federico Dimarco’s cross from a corner. That was the spark! Then, Francesco Pio Esposito delivered an absolute stunner in the 55th minute. He met another Diouf pull-back with the cheekiest of back-heel flicks at the near post. Seriously, the only way to score from that angle! That goal was pure magic. And Esposito wasn’t done, turning provider in the 63rd minute by holding up the ball from Petar Sucic and sending Yann Bisseck surging through the middle. Bisseck beat Pizzignacco, even with a slight deflection, to seal the 4-1 scoreline. Manuel Akanji even smacked a header off the crossbar from another Dimarco corner, almost making it 5-1. John Stones, a new signing, even got a look from the bench for his debut, showing the depth Inter has. It was Lautaro Martinez’s 29th birthday, and what a gift, a massive win.
This Inter squad, coming off a Domestic Double, just showed their championship quality, recovering from that first-half wobble to lay down a marker. It’s an early season statement: they’re not messing around. They’ve got the firepower and the resilience, and the rest of Serie A just got a loud reminder of who they’re up against.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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