​Serie A Preview: Inter vs Monza – Team News, Lineups & PredictionInter Milan’s Serie A title defense kicks off on Saturday as they face newly promoted Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in a 2026/27 curtain-raiser. The hosts head into proceedings as odds-on favorites to take all three points, but the visitors won’t go down without a fight.Cristian Chivu excelled in his first managerial season at Meazza, becoming just the fifth manager in Serie A history to win the Scudetto in their first year in charge of a club. More importantly, Inter strolled to their 21st top-flight title, beating second-placed Napoli by a staggering 11 points.Virtually unstoppable in the final third, Inter tallied a comfortable league-high 89 goals in 2025/26, at least 24 more than any other side in the division. Furthermore, they boasted Serie A’s joint-fourth-best defensive record, having conceded just 35. However, after a comprehensive defensive overhaul in the summer, there are question marks.In addition to letting Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian, and Stefan de Vrij leave as free agents, the Nerazzurri sold Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, John Stones and Djed Spence have joined the club, with the latter expected to replace the Dutch wingback following an impressive 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with England.On the other hand, Monza bounced back to Serie A after a one-year absence, overcoming Catanzaro in the promotion playoffs despite a 2-2 aggregate score. A superior league position allowed the Brianteo outfit to return to Italy’s top flight, with Ivan Juric tasked with keeping the Biancorossi away from another relegation battle this term.Match PreviewInterPre-season odds back Inter to win consecutive Serie A titles for the first time since 2010, but it could prove easier said than done. A raft of defensive changes was compounded by the exit of veteran goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who has joined Club Brugge on a Bosman deal. Inter have signed Ivan Provedel from Lazio to replace the two-time Scudetto winner.However, only one clean sheet from five summer friendlies offers an early warning sign. Topically, seven of Inter’s final ten Serie A games of last season saw both teams score, suggesting defensive solidity could be a concern at the start of their title defense. Regardless, this should be a walk in the park for Chivu’s men.Confidence stems from Inter’s four-game unbeaten league streak against Monza (W3, D1) since the Biancorossi’s last win in April 2023 at this stadium. It’s also worth noting that Inter scored at least two goals in each of their three victories in that run, including a goal-glutted 3-2 triumph in their most recent meeting at Meazza.MonzaJuric enjoyed a dream touchline debut, overseeing a 2-0 win over Avellino in the opening Coppa Italia round last Friday. Monza fared equally well during pre-season, avoiding defeat in four of their five summer friendlies (W3, D1), including a stunning 2-0 victory over reigning Turkish Super L