- 1 Inter Milan vs Monza: the reigning champions kick off Serie A against a promoted side missing three key men
- 2 Inter Milan: Mkhitaryan suspended, Calhanoglu doubtful
- 3 Monza: Pessina injured, Thiam and Mota suspended
- 4 Serie A prediction Inter Milan vs Monza
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No obligation on our part
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Inter Milan vs Monza: the reigning champions kick off Serie A against a promoted side missing three key men 
Serie A 2026-2027 gets under way on Saturday 22 August at 18:30 with Inter-Monza at the Giuseppe Meazza. The match officially launches the Italian league season, alongside Udinese-Como.
On paper, this is as one-sided as it gets: the reigning champions against the newly promoted team from Brianza.
The bookmakers have priced it accordingly, with an Inter win around 1.25, a draw at 6.00 and a Monza victory at 15.00. Those numbers tell you exactly where the market thinks the gap lies.
An opening-day gulf that wide is rare, even in Italy. It reflects the sporting pecking order, but also the state of both squads with kickoff just days away.
Monza do at least arrive with a recent boost, having beaten Avellino 3-0 in the Coppa Italia. Varela scored twice, with Forson adding the third.
Cristian Chivu and Ivan Juric are in very different jobs here, one tasked with defending a title, the other trying to build enough to stay up. Both coaches go into the day with weakened squads.
The game will be played in Milan in temperatures between 25 and 26 degrees, under mostly clear skies. Late-afternoon heat rarely helps the side that has to do the chasing.
Three Monza players are out through injury or suspension, while Inter are missing their Armenian midfielder. So the real question is not who wins, but by how much.
Inter Milan: Mkhitaryan suspended, Calhanoglu doubtful 
Inter begin the new campaign as reigning Italian champions. Cristian Chivu starts with the pressure to set the tone immediately.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is suspended for this opener. His absence strips Inter’s midfield of one of its most experienced links in possession.
Hakan Calhanoglu remains doubtful after picking up a minor knock in the friendly against Betis. Whether he plays shapes a big part of Inter’s setup.
If the Turk does not make it, Piotr Zielinski and Aleksandar Stankovic are the main contenders to step in. Chivu has options, but none with the same dead-ball quality.
That matters against an opponent likely to sit deep and concede set pieces. Losing the squad’s best delivery man would cut down one of Inter’s cleaner ways of breaking a game open.
Up front, the Lautaro Martinez-Francesco Pio Esposito pairing is expected to continue. It gives Inter a proven finisher alongside a physical reference point capable of pinning centre-backs.
The 3-5-2, with Dimarco and Diouf on the flanks, remains the spine of the plan. That width is how Inter intend to stretch a compact Brianza block.
At the back, the Bisseck-Akanji-Bastoni line gives Chivu enough security to let the wing-backs keep pushing. The trade-off is the counter, though Monza may struggle to hurt them with so many absences.
Try it for $0.99.
Monza: Pessina injured, Thiam and Mota suspended 
Monza return to Serie A as a promoted side and face a trip to San Siro for their first outing. The fixture list has offered them no warm-up period at all.
Captain Matteo Pessina is out injured. Ivan Juric loses his midfield reference point for this one.
Amath Thiam and Dany Mota are suspended too, which removes two attacking options. Three key players are missing at once.
Patrick Ciurria and Lorenzo Colombo were already unavailable for the Coppa Italia tie, and their fitness is still being assessed. The usable squad is thin for a match of this size.
The 3-0 win over Avellino did at least show the attack can deliver, with Varela scoring twice and Forson adding another. Cutrone also played a part in several of the danger moments.
Juric admitted after that match that the club’s financial limits will restrict what it can do in the market. The transfer situation weighs just as heavily as the weekend absences.
Toure could start if his arrival is completed in time. Bringing in a potential starter only days before the season speaks volumes about how much work still needs doing at Brianza.
The 3-4-2-1, with Colpani and Cutrone behind Varela, points to a counter-attacking plan. Monza will need to hang in there for a long time if they want to make that work.
Expected Inter Milan line-up: Martinez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco; Lautaro, Pio Esposito.
Expected Monza line-up: Pizzignacco; Kouadio, Delli Carri, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Mout, Mangas; Colpani, Cutrone; Varela.
Serie A prediction Inter Milan vs Monza
Our prediction: Inter Milan to win by at least two goals (handicap -1.5)
An outright Inter win is priced at 1.25, which offers little appeal. The handicap brings the value back into play.
Monza arrive without captain Pessina, without Thiam and without Mota, with Ciurria and Colombo still doubtful. A promoted side missing three starters at San Siro against the champions are at a structural disadvantage, not just a numerical one.
Inter still have the Lautaro-Pio Esposito partnership and the width of Dimarco and Diouf against a three-centre-back block. Monza’s 15.00 price only confirms that the market gives them little chance of causing an upset.
Inter to win by at least two goals.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
First, a word on our free predictions
- What we publish on mathodds are opinions and analysis, nothing more. We share a view, a read on the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport is what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a goal from nowhere… and the whole script changes.
- Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when something looks nailed on, it isn’t. And yes, that means you can lose. In fact, sooner or later, you will.
- The smart move is to stay sensible. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Do not touch money you need to live. And above all, don’t chase losses. It rarely ends well.
- A bet should stay a bit of fun, not a job or a source of income. If you feel it is taking up too much space in your life, winding you up or putting you under pressure, take a break. If needed, speak to a specialist support group. That’s what they’re there for.
- At the end of the day, the responsibility is yours. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and never goes away, even with the best analysis in the world.
- Important reminder: betting is illegal for minors and must comply with the laws of your country. Gambling can quickly go off the rails (money loss, family tension, addiction). Need Help? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In the UK? Visit https://www.gambleaware.org/https://www.gambleaware.org/.
No obligation on our part
Our predictions are not a contract. They have no legal force. In plain English: you cannot use them to demand compensation if a bet goes wrong.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know at the time of writing. But by the time the game comes around, a line-up changes (like Inter Milan’s, for example), a player gets injured, the weather turns… and the analysis can be out of date very quickly. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your role
Before you bet, check that wagering is legal where you are. If it isn’t, that is your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling first
We can’t say it enough: gamble in moderation. If you struggle to stay in control, do not wait to seek help. We cannot be responsible for compulsive or excessive use of the information published on the site.
Legal age
mathodds content is for adults only. By using this site, you confirm that you are old enough under the law to place bets.
About the visuals…
The Inter Milan and Monza images and logos used on mathodds, including those linked to Serie A, are there only to illustrate our articles. They do not mean we have any official link with a federation or sports organisation, and we make no claim to any rights over them.
Those rights belong to the original creators. If, despite our care, any visual causes an issue, contact us and it will be removed without delay.
Our only aim in using these images is to make the read more pleasant. Nothing more. No commercial gain, no taking credit for someone else’s work.
Leave a Reply