Inter Milan Open Title Defence With 4-1 Win Over Monza as European Seasons Swing Into Gear

Inter Milan began their Serie A title defence with a 4-1 win over Monza at San Siro on 22 August 2026, and the scoreline flattered nobody. The Guardian

Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter's set-piece specialist and penalty taker, put the home side ahead inside six minutes. Gustavo Varela levelled for Monza just before the half-hour, and for a stretch the match sat in the balance. Then Piotr Zielinski struck three minutes after the restart, and from there Inter pulled clear. Pio Esposito — a 20-year-old forward coming through the club's youth system — and defender Yann Bisseck added the third and fourth to settle the contest.

Cristian Chivu, appointed head coach, will have been satisfied with the control his side showed after the interval, even if the first half gave him something to chew on. The Romanian took over a side that won last season's title and has been reinforced over the summer with recognisable Premier League names.

John Stones, signed from Manchester City, made his Inter debut in the match. Two more recent arrivals — Djed Spence and Curtis Jones — watched from the stands at San Siro. All three are part of a recruitment push that has given Inter's squad a distinctly English flavour, and supporters will be eager to see how quickly the new signings settle into the rhythm of Italian football.

Inter's history against Monza gave them reason to feel confident going in. In six previous league meetings in Milan, Inter had won four, most recently 3-2 last season, according to Serie A's official site. The overall top-flight record between the clubs stood at three Inter wins, two draws, and one Monza victory.

Elsewhere in Italy, Udinese drew 1-1 at home to Como. Napoli, last season's runners-up, were scheduled to visit Genoa later on Saturday evening.

In Spain, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick confirmed that new signing Rodri — the midfielder who won the Ballon d'Or (football's player of the year award) in 2024 — would not feature in the club's La Liga opener against Elche. Flick said Rodri may be ready for the second match, against Athletic Bilbao. Real Madrid's season opener against Espanyol was set for later on Saturday, with José Mourinho starting his second spell in charge at the Bernabéu.

France had already served up its own entertainment. Lens, who finished second in Ligue 1 last season behind Paris Saint-Germain, opened their campaign with a 5-2 win over Auxerre. Captain Florian Thauvin scored two penalties. Auxerre's task was complicated when defender Christ Makosso was sent off in the first half for a foul on Lens attacker Abdallah Sima — a red card that left the visitors a man short for over an hour.

For Inter, the message is simple. New faces, new coach, same ambition — and a first three points on the board.