Inter overturned a difficult first-half display to begin their season with a 4-1 victory over Monza, with spectacular goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Pio Esposito helping the Domestic Double winners secure a convincing finish.
The Nerazzurri were hoping to make an immediate statement after winning the Domestic Double last season, but they were without the chance to introduce any of their new signings from the start. John Stones was the only new arrival named on the bench, while Djed Spence and Curtis Jones were presented to the supporters.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was suspended, although Lautaro Martinez began the match on his 29th birthday. Monza were also without Matteo Pessina, Patrick Ciurria, Leonardo Colombo, Ebeneezer Akinsanmiro and Idrissa Toure. Dany Mota Carvalho and Demba Thiam were suspended, while Patrick Cutrone was not fully fit.
Inter eventually found their rhythm, and the opening goal was of the highest quality. Francesco Pio Esposito used his strength to hold off a defender before Andy Diouf pulled the ball back into the path of Calhanoglu. The Turkey midfielder struck a fierce 25-yard effort which flew beyond the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net.
Nicolo Barella came close to adding a second when his curling right-foot shot skimmed the top of the crossbar. Instead, Monza found an equaliser through Gustavo Varela.
A pass from Mathis Mout sent Varela through, and the forward used his body to hold off Manuel Akanji before driving a precise angled effort into the far bottom corner. Varela had already scored twice on his Coppa Italia debut, and his quick impact continued to suggest Monza had made a shrewd investment.
Inter restored their lead three minutes after half-time. Samuele Pizzignacco failed to deal properly with Federico Dimarco’s cross following a corner, and Piotr Zielinski reacted quickest to sweep the loose ball into the net from the edge of the area.
Monza attempted to unsettle Inter with an aggressive press, with Mangas nearly forcing Josep Martinez into trouble. But Esposito soon produced another moment of individual brilliance.
Diouf reached the by-line and cut the ball back towards the near post, where Esposito met it with a deft backheel flick. The finish was audacious and perfectly suited to the narrow angle, leaving Pizzignacco with no chance.
Esposito then turned provider for Inter’s fourth. After receiving the ball from Petar Sucic, he held it up strongly once again before releasing Yann Bisseck through the centre. Bisseck beat Pizzignacco, with the effort taking a slight deflection off a shinpad on its way into the net.
Manuel Akanji was close to making it five when his header from another Dimarco corner crashed against the crossbar.
The final scoring sequence was: Calhanoglu 6, Varela 29, Zielinski 48, Esposito 55 and Bisseck 63. Inter’s response after an uneven opening underlined the quality available to the champions, while Monza were left to reflect on a promising first half that ultimately gave way to a heavy defeat.
