Piotr Zielinski scores in 4-1 Inter Milan victory over Monza in Serie A opener

Inter Milan begins Serie A title defence

Defending Serie A champions Inter Milan started their domestic campaign on 22 August 2026 with a 4-1 home victory over newly promoted Monza in the opening round of the Italian football league. The Milan side is managed by Romanian head coach Cristian Chivu, whose team entered the new season defending their Italian league championship. The home team established an early advantage in the sixth minute when Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu struck the opening goal of the match. Monza responded twenty-three minutes later, bringing the score level at 1-1 in the 29th minute through an equalizing goal from Gustavo Varela. The two teams completed the opening forty-five minutes on level terms before the home side shifted momentum after the interval.

Zielinski capitalizes on goalkeeper error

Inter regained control of the fixture three minutes after the restart when Polish international midfielder Piotr Zielinski scored his first goal of the league campaign. The scoring sequence began in the 48th minute following a cross into the penalty area delivered from the flank by Federico Dimarco. Monza goalkeeper Semuel Pizzignacco attempted to clear the danger but committed an error with a mistimed punch, directing the ball straight out into the central zone. The loose ball dropped directly to Zielinski waiting at the sixteen-meter line, who took an immediate first-time shot without hesitation. His bouncing strike lobbed over the recovering Monza goalkeeper and flew directly under the crossbar to establish a 2-1 lead for Inter.

Second-half goals seal opening victory

Inter expanded their advantage seven minutes later as the hosts continued to generate opportunities against the newly promoted side. In the 55th minute, forward Francesco Pio Esposito scored Inter's third goal of the match, pushing the scoreline to 3-1 for the home team. German defender Yann Aurel Bisseck, who is of Cameroonian descent, added a fourth goal in the 63rd minute to finalize the 4-1 margin. Zielinski, who had been named in the starting lineup, remained on the pitch through the second half until the 83rd minute. Head coach Cristian Chivu replaced the Polish international seven minutes before the end of regulation time, introducing Serbian midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic to finish the match.

Parallel action for Polish players at Udinese

Opening-round action in Serie A on the same evening also featured Polish players in a parallel fixture where Udinese played at home against Como. That match concluded in a 1-1 draw on Udinese's home pitch after ninety minutes. Polish midfielder Jakub Piotrowski was named in Udinese's starting lineup and received a yellow card from the referee during the first half. Piotrowski featured for 71 minutes before Udinese withdrew him, sending on Scottish midfielder Lennon Miller as his replacement. Polish striker Adam Buksa was also noted among Udinese's players, though he is currently awaiting an anticipated transfer away from the club to Spanish side Mallorca.