Inter Milan’s Serie A title defense kicks off on Saturday as they face newly promoted Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in a 2026/27 curtain-raiser. The hosts head into proceedings as odds-on favorites to take all three points, but the visitors won’t go down without a fight.
Cristian Chivu excelled in his first managerial season at Meazza, becoming just the fifth manager in Serie A history to win the Scudetto in their first year in charge of a club. More importantly, Inter strolled to their 21st top-flight title, beating second-placed Napoli by a staggering 11 points.
Virtually unstoppable in the final third, Inter tallied a comfortable league-high 89 goals in 2025/26, at least 24 more than any other side in the division. Furthermore, they boasted Serie A’s joint-fourth-best defensive record, having conceded just 35. However, after a comprehensive defensive overhaul in the summer, there are question marks.
In addition to letting Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian, and Stefan de Vrij leave as free agents, the Nerazzurri sold Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, John Stones and Djed Spence have joined the club, with the latter expected to replace the Dutch wingback following an impressive 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with England.
On the other hand, Monza bounced back to Serie A after a one-year absence, overcoming Catanzaro in the promotion playoffs despite a 2-2 aggregate score. A superior league position allowed the Brianteo outfit to return to Italy’s top flight, with Ivan Juric tasked with keeping the Biancorossi away from another relegation battle this term.
Match Preview
Inter
Pre-season odds back Inter to win consecutive Serie A titles for the first time since 2010, but it could prove easier said than done. A raft of defensive changes was compounded by the exit of veteran goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who has joined Club Brugge on a Bosman deal. Inter have signed Ivan Provedel from Lazio to replace the two-time Scudetto winner.
However, only one clean sheet from five summer friendlies offers an early warning sign. Topically, seven of Inter’s final ten Serie A games of last season saw both teams score, suggesting defensive solidity could be a concern at the start of their title defense. Regardless, this should be a walk in the park for Chivu’s men.
Confidence stems from Inter’s four-game unbeaten league streak against Monza (W3, D1) since the Biancorossi’s last win in April 2023 at this stadium. It’s also worth noting that Inter scored at least two goals in each of their three victories in that run, including a goal-glutted 3-2 triumph in their most recent meeting at Meazza.
Monza
Juric enjoyed a dream touchline debut, overseeing a 2-0 win over Avellino in the opening Coppa Italia round last Friday. Monza fared equally well during pre-season, avoiding defeat in four of their five summer friendlies (W3, D1), including a stunning 2-0 victory over reigning Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray.
Yet, the circumstances will be different this time around as they return to San Siro, where they lost 2-0 to Milan in their last Serie A outing. It was the final game of Monza’s fateful 2024/25 campaign, which saw the Biancorossi finish at the foot of the table with just 18 points, only narrowly avoiding the all-time low of 17 points in the 20-team league format.
On a more positive note, Monza scored two or more goals in six of their last eight away matches across all competitions. However, that’s a feat they’ve managed in just two of their six Serie A clashes against Inter, and given Juric’s defensive-minded approach, another prolific attacking display may be difficult to replicate here.
Team News
Apart from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who’s carrying a yellow-card suspension from last season, Chivu will have the rest of his Inter squad available this weekend. Despite Provedel’s arrival, Josep Martinez is expected to start in goal, with Stones likely to make his Serie A debut from the get-go.
Meanwhile, Monza will be without long-serving stalwart Dany Mota and captain Matteo Pessina. Inter loanee Ebenezer Akinsanmiro should take the latter’s place in the starting XI, while Portuguese starlet Gustavo Varela could lead the line in Mota’s absence.
Inter vs Monza Potential Starting Lineups
Inter (3-5-2): J. Martinez; Akanji, Stones, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Esposito, L. Martinez.
Monza (3-4-2-1): Pizzignacco; Kouadio, Delli Carri, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Colombo, Mangas; Colpani, Cutrone; Varela.
Inter vs Monza Prediction
The gulf in quality is too wide to ignore, with all signs pointing in one direction. Inter should claim a routine victory at the start of their Scudetto defense, and despite their recent defensive struggles, they may also open the season with a clean sheet.
Prediction: Inter to win ‘to nil’
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The post Serie A Preview: Inter vs Monza – Team News, Lineups & Prediction appeared first on The Cult of Calcio.
