Serie A has officially got underway, with one of the first two matches of the new campaign seeing defending champions Inter take on newly promoted Monza. While the first half was far from ideal for the Milan giants, the second period brought a completely different story, with three excellent goals and complete control of the game earning Inter their first three points of the season.The first half between Inter and Monza at San Siro delivered plenty of excitement, with both sides finding the back of the net and creating several dangerous opportunities.Inter made a flying start and took the lead in the 6th minute with a spectacular strike from Calhanoglu. Esposito did brilliantly to hold off his defender before spreading the ball out to the right for Diouf. The winger initially looked to deliver a cross before pulling the ball back to Calhanoglu, who unleashed an unstoppable effort from around 25 yards, sending the ball into the roof of the net.The moment Hakan Çalhanoğlu celebrates his goal for Inter vs Monza. pic.twitter.com/1mi8CxJT47— The Moment Football (@themomentfooty) August 22, 2026 It took another 20 minutes for the next real moment of excitement, with Inter coming close again in the 26th minute. Following a well-worked team move, Nicolo Barella found himself in a good position to shoot, but his effort flew over the crossbar.Monza then stunned the home crowd at San Siro in the 29th minute, restoring parity through Gustavo Varela. The forward received the ball around 16 yards from goal, brilliantly turned away from Akanji and produced an excellent finish from the corner of the penalty area to beat the Inter goalkeeper and make it 1-1.Gustavo Varela scoring the goal (©Getty Images)Inter responded almost immediately and had another effort in the 32nd minute, when Dimarco tried his luck from around 20 yards. His low shot, however, went straight into the hands of Monza goalkeeper Pizzignacco.Varela remained a threat for the visitors throughout the opening half and came close to adding another contribution in the 40th minute. A cross was delivered directly towards the goalscorer, but he failed to make proper contact with his header, allowing Inter to escape without further danger.With neither side able to find another goal before the break, the teams went into half-time level at 1-1, after an entertaining opening 45 minutes at San Siro.##NAJAVA_MECA_9907090##The second half began in almost identical fashion to the first, with Inter quickly reclaiming the lead just three minutes after the restart. In the 48th minute, Monza goalkeeper Pizzignacco made a costly mistake after failing to properly clear a cross. He sent the ball straight into the path of Piotr Zielinski, who made no mistake from close range and calmly finished into the empty net to put Inter 2-1 ahead.Inter then struck again just seven minutes later, completely turning the game in their favour. In the 55th minute, Esposito produced a moment of brilliance to extend the hosts' advantage. Diouf broke down the right flank before delivering the ball towards Esposito inside the six-yard box, and the striker sensationally finished with a superb backheel to make it 3-1.Pio Esposito after the goal (©Gallo Images)The Nerazzurri continued to dominate and added a fourth goal in the 63rd minute. Bisseck was given far too much space by the Monza defence and took full advantage, firing a shot beyond the goalkeeper to give Inter a commanding 4-1 lead.Inter came close to adding yet another goal four minutes later when Manuel Akanji rose highest following a corner and sent a powerful header towards goal. However, the ball struck the crossbar, denying the hosts an even bigger advantage.After turning a 1-1 half-time scoreline into a comfortable 4-1 lead in just 18 minutes, Inter were firmly in control as the second half continued.SERIE A – MATCHDAY 1SaturdayInter – Monza 4-1 (1-1)/Calhanoglu 6, Zielinski 48, Esposito 55, Bisseck 63 – Varela 29/Udinese – Como 1-1 (1-0)/Kamara 29 – Douvikas 54/21.45: (4.40) Genoa (3.50) Napoli (1.95)21.45: (2.60) Parma (3.15) Cagliari (3.10)Sunday19.30: (7.50) Frosinone (4.30) Juventus (1.50)19.30: (2.30) Venezia (3.25) Lecce (3.25)21.45: (1.55) Atalanta (4.30) Sassuolo (6.00)21.45: (4.80) Torino (3.60) Milan (1.85)Monday19.30: (2.25) Bologna (3.35) Lazio (3.50)21.45: (1.65) Roma (4.00) Fiorentina (6.00)***odds are subject to change***