Inter turn 72% possession into a 4-1 win over Monza

Inter defeated Monza 4-1 at San Siro/Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday, securing the points after a match that was level 1-1 at half-time. Inter took control after the break, scoring three times in 18 minutes to turn an even first half into a decisive victory.

Fast start, quick response

Hakan Çalhanoğlu opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing a move assisted by Andy Diouf. Monza responded in the 29th minute when Gustavo Varela converted with an assist from M. Mout, leaving the teams level at the interval. The first half also featured yellow cards for Inter’s Lautaro Martínez in the 34th minute and Çalhanoğlu in the 45th.

Inter pull away after the interval

Piotr Zieliński restored Inter’s lead three minutes into the second half with an unassisted goal. Francesco Pio Esposito then made it 3-1 in the 55th minute, with Diouf providing his second assist of the match. Y. Bisseck completed the scoring in the 63rd minute after being set up by Esposito.

Inter made two changes immediately after Esposito’s goal, replacing Martínez and Çalhanoğlu with A. Bonny and P. Sucic in the 54th minute. Monza introduced O. Forson, N. Galazzi and P. Cutrone in the 70th, while Inter later replaced M. Akanji with J. Stones in the 75th. Monza also saw yellow cards for E. Kouadio and L. Lucchesi in the 69th and 84th minutes respectively.

Possession dominance, unusual expected-goal split

The scoreline reflected Inter’s control of the ball and territory. They held 72% possession, completed 475 passes at an 89% accuracy rate and registered nine total shots, compared with Monza’s five. Inter also had six shots inside the box to Monza’s five and led shots on target 4-2.

However, the expected-goal figures offered a contrast: Monza recorded 0.82 expected goals to Inter’s 0.53. Despite that statistical edge in chance quality, Monza scored only once while Inter converted four times. Inter’s defensive discipline was also evident in their zero offsides, while Monza were flagged three times.

Table position after the final whistle

The supplied Serie A standings list Inter first and Monza 20th after the opening round, with both teams shown on zero points from zero games. No recent form data was available for either side, so this result provides the available basis for their start to the regular season.

Çalhanoğlu was the standout performer, receiving an 8.2 rating after scoring once, registering a shot on target and making a key pass in 54 minutes. Diouf also made a major contribution with two assists and three key passes, while Esposito’s goal and assist helped shape the decisive second-half spell.