Inter Milan open Serie A title defense with 4-1 win over Monza as Piotr Zielinski scores

Opening day victory at San Siro

Inter Milan opened their 2026/2027 Serie A title defense on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over promoted AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The match, which kicked off at 18:30, saw manager Cristian Chivu deploy Piotr Zielinski in midfield alongside Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu.

Inter took the lead after six minutes when Calhanoglu beat Monza goalkeeper Semuel Pizzignacco with a shot from more than 20 meters into the top corner following a pass from Andy Diouf. Monza leveled in the 29th minute as Gustavo Varela collected a pass from Mathis Mouta, navigated past defender Manuel Akanji, and placed a low strike past Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez. The sides entered the interval level at 1-1 after Inter failed to convert late first-half possession into scoring opportunities.

Second half surge and Zielinski milestone

Inter reclaimed the advantage three minutes into the second half. A cross from Federico Dimarco led to an errant punch from Pizzignacco, allowing Zielinski to strike the loose ball into an empty net from outside the penalty box in the 48th minute.

The goal marked Zielinski's tenth across all competitions for Inter since his 2024 transfer from Napoli. Inter extended their lead in the 55th minute when 21-year-old forward Francesco Pio Esposito scored with a backheel flick, finishing an attacking sequence set up by Petar Sucic and Diouf. Defender Yann Aurel Bisseck settled the final score at 4-1 in the 63rd minute by joining the attack and converting from inside the area.

Chivu rotated his squad in the closing stages, introducing Luis Henrique for Akanji and John Stones for Diouf in the 75th minute, before replacing Zielinski with Aleksandar Stankovic in the 83rd minute.

Italian media reaction and ratings

Italian sports publications evaluated Zielinski's performance after an opening 45 minutes where he struggled against Monza's compact midfield structure. Calciomercato assigned Zielinski a rating of 6, noting his improvement once Monza reduced their defensive pressing intensity.

When Monza's pressing loses intensity, the Pole emerges from the shadows and begins to decisively dictate terms on the pitch.

Sportmediaset awarded the midfielder a 6.5 rating, pointing out that Zielinski took over playmaking duties following Calhanoglu's substitution. Eurosport Italia gave Zielinski a rating of 7 for his second-half response, while FCInter1908 rated him at 6.5, observing that the midfielder remains central to Chivu's plans despite competition for starting spots from Sucic and Curtis Jones.

Season outlook and upcoming fixtures

Inter enter the new campaign following a 2025/2026 season where they secured a domestic double by winning both the Serie A championship in early May and the Coppa Italia. Monza, returning to the Italian top flight after a single season away, leave Milan without points ahead of their next league fixtures.

Chivu's side travel to face Cagliari in their second league fixture next weekend, before hosting Napoli in matchday three.