Inter Milan vs. Monza – News and Probable Lineups

Inter Milan begins its title defense on Saturday evening when the reigning Serie A champions host newly promoted Monza at San Siro.

While Inter aims to secure another title, their opponents simply seek to avoid relegation after bouncing back from demotion at the first chance.

Match overview

Having regained their position as Italy’s top team last season, Inter captured both domestic trophies for the first time since their remarkable treble in 2010, adding a 10th Coppa Italia to their 21st Scudetto.

In Serie A, they ultimately showcased an emphatic performance, finishing 11 points ahead of the defending champions, Napoli, and defeating Lazio in the cup final.

After a remarkable debut year in charge for Cristian Chivu, the coach of the Nerazzurri must again aim for the title while also looking to achieve greater success in European competitions.

Chivu’s team had a positive start to their pre-season, demolishing SV Aasen 16-0 during a training camp, followed by a 2-1 victory over Karlsruher and a win on penalties against Manchester City.

This successful trend continued during their Australian tour, where they faced their two fiercest rivals – AC Milan (1-1) and Juventus (2-1) – before a John Stones goal secured a win over Real Betis.

Therefore, they appear well-prepared for Saturday’s Serie A opener, especially considering it will be played in Milan: Inter won 14 of 19 home matches last season.

Although their return to the top flight starts with arguably the most challenging fixture, Monza won’t have far to travel for this Lombardy derby.

The Biancorossi’s solitary victory from their six previous Serie A encounters at San Siro was a surprising 1-0 win against Inter in April 2023, so expectations might not be overly high.

With one of the strongest squads in Serie B, Monza successfully returned to Italy’s elite division at the first attempt last season, ultimately securing promotion through the playoffs.

Despite drawing 2-2 on aggregate with Catanzaro in the final, their higher league finish of third place guaranteed them the final spot behind Venezia and Frosinone.

Head coach Paolo Bianco then departed, taking a new role at Pisa, while ex-Roma manager Ivan Juric was appointed to replace him.

After winning most of their pre-season fixtures – including a game against Turkish giants Galatasaray – Monza recently achieved a 3-0 cup victory at home against Avellino.

Team News

Chivu’s subtle transformation of the Inter squad has continued this summer, with English players Stones and Djed Spence among the new signings – with fellow countryman Curtis Jones expected to join them soon.

Acquired from Lazio following the departure of veteran goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Ivan Provedel will compete with Josep Martinez for the starting position between the posts.

Taking over from Real Madrid-bound Denzel Dumfries on the right flank, shifted midfielder Andy Diouf has been a regular goal scorer in pre-season and looks set to start ahead of Spence.

Not much has changed at the forefront: last season’s Capocannoniere with 17 league goals, captain Lautaro Martinez has scored five times in his six Serie A matches against Monza.

While the home side will be without Henrikh Mkhitaryan due to a suspension, Monza must make the trip without captain Matteo Pessina, who recently sustained a serious knee injury.

Inter-owned midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro is likely to step in for him, and Monza’s attack features another familiar face: ex-Milan striker Patrick Cutrone contributed to nine Serie B goals last season and assisted two more in the recent match against Avellino.

Portugal Under-20s international Gustavo Varela may also feature in the final third, having recently scored twice in the Coppa Italia.

Inter Milan probable starting XI:

J. Martinez; Akanji, Stones, Sticks; Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Esposito, L. Martinez

Monza probable starting XI:

Thiam; Kouadio, Delli Carri, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Colombo, Mangas; Colpani, Cutrone; Varela

Inter has been unrelenting towards the end of last season and again in pre-season, having bolstered their squad, making them a formidable force in Serie A.

Their Scudetto defense is certainly expected to commence with a victory over Monza, who could only finish third in Italy’s second tier before barely securing their position through the playoffs.