Inter Milan defeat Monza 4-1 in Serie A opener under Cristi Chivu

First-half exchange at the Giuseppe Meazza

Inter Milan opened the new Serie A campaign under manager Cristi Chivu with a 4-1 home victory against Monza at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. The Italian champions established control of possession during the opening minutes of the round-one fixture in front of their home supporters. Inter broke the deadlock in the 6th minute of play when Hakan Calhanoglu completed an attacking move created by teammate Andy Diouf with a shot on goal. Monza managed to balance the contest in the 29th minute when Gustavo Varela capitalized on a pass from Mathis Mout to beat the Inter goalkeeper. The equalizing strike ensured that both teams entered the half-time interval level at 1-1 despite early pressure and control from the hosts.

Second-half offensive display

The host side took command of the contest immediately after the restart by scoring three unanswered goals across an eighteen-minute interval in the second half. Piotr Zielinski restored Inter's lead in the 48th minute, finding the net three minutes into the second half to put the Italian champions back ahead. Francesco Esposito extended the advantage to 3-1 in the 55th minute by executing a backheel finish inside the Monza penalty area. Defender Yann Bisseck established the final 4-1 margin in the 63rd minute after receiving an assist from Esposito. The sequence of second-half finishes provided Chivu's squad with control over the closing half-hour of the opening round fixture.

Team debuts for Stones and Stankovic

The season opener also featured competitive debuts for two players entering Chivu's Inter squad this season. English midfielder John Stones made his official debut for the Italian club following his transfer from Manchester City during the summer window. In addition, 21-year-old midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic, regarded by the club as a promising young player, made his senior debut during the match against Monza. Both midfielders were integrated into the lineup as Inter secured their opening league victory in front of their home supporters. The coaching staff utilized the fixture to evaluate these new player options in domestic league competition.

Squad selections and transfer exclusions

Cristi Chivu made clear selection choices regarding several other summer transfers who did not take part in the match. Full-back Djed Spence was excluded from the matchday roster for the opening encounter against Monza. Midfielder Curtis Jones was likewise left out of the squad list by the Romanian manager for the Serie A fixture. Both new arrivals remained unavailable for selection on the bench as the team secured maximum points on matchday one. Inter concluded the opening weekend of the Italian championship with three points and four goals scored.

Managerial debut for Cristi Chivu

The 4-1 scoreline marked a successful start for Cristi Chivu in his role managing Inter Milan in Serie A. The Romanian coach oversaw an offensive performance that delivered four goals across the ninety minutes of play at the Giuseppe Meazza. Chivu's tactical adjustments helped transform a 1-1 half-time score into a three-goal victory within eighteen minutes of second-half action. The result gave Inter three points following the opening round of the league season. Inter now prepare for their subsequent fixtures in the domestic championship.