Serie A statistics: Lautaro chases a historic record and Monza challenge their hoodoo against Inter
A much-anticipated start
Inter Milan and Monza meet for the seventh time today, Saturday, in the opening round of Serie A, broadcast on stc.
The Nerazzurri boast a strong record here. According to the Opta statistics network, they remain unbeaten in five of their six previous meetings against Monza, with three wins and two draws.
This is the third Lombardy derby to open the season in the last four Serie A campaigns, following Inter against Monza in 2023/24 and Milan against Cremonese last season.
That figure matches the number of Lombardy derbies staged in the opening round across the previous 29 seasons since the introduction of three points for a win: Inter against Brescia in 1997/98, Brescia against Milan in 2001/02, and Inter against Atalanta in 2015/16.
Monza have managed just one win in six previous Serie A meetings at the San Siro against Inter or Milan, losing the other five. That victory came on their first visit to the stadium, a 1-0 win over Inter on 15 April 2023, Luca Caldirola scoring in the 78th minute.
Inter, meanwhile, have lost only one of the 18 opening matches they have played in Serie A as reigning champions, a run stretching back to 1929/30 that includes titles awarded by administrative decision. They have 10 wins and 7 draws to their name, the sole defeat coming against Venezia by a scoreline of 0-1 on 6 October 1940.
Monza, by contrast, have never won their opening match in Serie A. They have drawn one and lost two, among them a 0-2 defeat to Inter at the San Siro on 19 August 2023.
Across Serie A history since 1929/30, the reigning champions have suffered only a single defeat in an opening meeting against a newly promoted side, one loss in 23 instances alongside 15 wins and 7 draws. That defeat came when Sampdoria beat Juventus 1-0 on 12 September 1982.
Inter have won three of these meetings, among them two derbies against Brescia in 1971 and Cremonese in 1989, plus one draw against Bari in 2009.
Tactically, Monza scored the most goals from organised attacks involving 10 passes or more in open play last season in the 2025/26 second division. Their eight goals equalled the record Inter set in Serie A last season, a mark shared with Como.
Inter racked up 124 goals in all competitions last season, the Club World Cup included, the highest scoring rate in their history since the current Serie A system began in 1929/30.
Individual milestones are within reach too. Inter striker Lautaro Martinez, on 132 goals, sits just one short of matching Stefano Nyers on 133 as the club's third-best scorer in Serie A history, behind Giuseppe Meazza on 197 and Benito Lorenzi on 138.
The Argentine has scored 5 goals in 6 league matches against Monza, two of them braces, and he also netted 6 goals in 6 matches against newly promoted sides in Serie A last season.
For Monza, Patrick Ciurria had a hand in nine goals last season in the second division, scoring 6 and providing 3, the promotion play-offs included. No player who contributed to that many goals did so in fewer appearances, Ciurria managing it in just 20 matches.
