Overview
Inter Milan returns to Serie A with the position of the defending champion after a successful season. Meanwhile, Monza must face a very big challenge right in the first match after winning the right to return to the highest league in Italy.
Last season, Inter reaffirmed their number one position in Italy when they won a domestic double, for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. Nerazzurri won Serie A with 11 points more than Napoli and then defeated Lazio in the Coppa Italia final to add their 10th title in this arena.
That success gives Inter more motivation under Cristian Chivu. After an impressive first season, this strategist will aim to defend the Serie A championship and improve his performance in the European arena.
Inter's preparation for the new season is going quite smoothly. They started with a 16-0 victory over SV Aasen, then defeated Karlsruher with a score of 2-1 and defeated Manchester City in a penalty shootout.
Inter continued to maintain positive form in the tour in Australia. They drew 1-1 with AC Milan before winning 2-1 against Juventus. However, this streak of results ended with a 0-1 defeat to Real Betis.
In general, Inter still has enough basis to be confident before the opening match of Serie A. In particular, home advantage is a noteworthy factor. Last season, the Chivu team won 14 victories in 19 home matches.
Inter's opponent is Monza, the team that just won the right to return to Serie A after a season playing in Serie B. This is a Lombardy derby and the geographical distance between the two clubs is not too large, but the challenge for the away team is very significant.
Monza has only won one of their last six away games against Inter in Serie A. Their only victory took place in April 2023, when Biancorossi surprised with a 1-0 victory at San Siro.
Monza owned one of the strongest squads of Serie B last season and won promotion through the play-offs. They finished the season in third place, after Venezia and Frosinone, before overcoming Catanzaro in the final.
After the promotion campaign, coach Paolo Bianco decided to leave the club to take on a new job at Pisa. Monza then appointed Ivan Juric, former Roma coach, as his replacement.
Juric has the task of helping Monza quickly adapt to the Serie A environment and aim for relegation. The pre-season preparation period of this team is quite smooth when they win most of the friendly matches.
Monza also had a favorable warm-up before Serie A started. In the most recent match in the Coppa Italia, Juric's team defeated Avellino with a score of 3-0 at home.
Expected lineup:
Inter Milan: J. Martinez, Akanji, Stones, Bastoni, Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco, Esposito, L. Martinez.
Monza: Pizzignacco, Kouadio, Delli Carri, Carboni, Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Colombo, Mangas, Colpani, Cutrone, Varela.
The match between Inter Milan and Monza takes place at 11:30 p.m. on August 22 (Vietnam time).
