Inter were setting out to win successive Scudettos for the first time since José Mourinho’s treble winners in 2009/10, and they made the perfect start here, racing into the lead inside six minutes.
Stepping into the right wing-back role vacated by the departed Denzel Dumfries, Andy Diouf laid the ball off to the edge of the area where Hakan Calhanoglu arrived to unleash a rocket that beat Monza goalkeeper Semuel Pizzignacco all ends up, marking his fourth goal in his last four H2H appearances.
It’s the eighth successive home league match in which Inter have scored first, but the Biancorossi’s response to falling behind was spirited, and just before the half-hour their efforts were rewarded with a high-quality equaliser.
With Manuel Akanji touch-tight at his back, Gustavo Varela showed tremendous strength to roll the Inter defender and arrow a strike into the bottom corner for his third goal in two matches since signing for Monza.
Inter were insipid in attack before the break, so were grateful to receive a gift from Pizzignacco within three minutes of the restart to restore the lead.
The Monza goalkeeper dived low to cut out a Federico Dimarco cross, but his tame parry landed at the feet of Piotr Zielinski, who intelligently bounced his shot over the despairing stopper and into the unguarded net.
The Nerazzurri looked far more comfortable from there, and soon doubled their lead when Diouf’s cutback was turned home by a glorious flick from Francesco Pio Esposito.
Monza’s dogged first-half resistance was well and truly broken by the time Esposito held the ball up for Yann Bisseck, who strode onto the ball and rifled home on his left foot for his first home league goal since May 2025.
Akanji then headed against the bar as the visitors threatened to completely collapse, but Inter ultimately settled for four as Cristian Chivu handed debuts to new signings John Stones and Aleksandar Stankovic – son of club legend Dejan.
In the end, it was a sobering night for Monza, whose top-flight return began as their last one ended with defeat at the San Siro.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter Milan)