Inter Milan launch Serie A title defence in style with 4-1 win over Monza
Inter Milan made a commanding start to their Serie A title defence on Saturday, brushing aside newly promoted Monza 4-1 at San Siro after recovering from a first-half setback to produce a dominant second-half display. The champions wasted little time asserting themselves, taking the lead just six minutes into the contest. Andy Diouf laid the ball into the path of Hakan Calhanoglu, who unleashed a spectacular first-time strike from distance that flew into the roof of the net. However, Monza refused to be intimidated by the early setback and produced an impressive response. Just before the half-hour mark, Gustavo Varela brought the visitors level with a composed finish on his Serie A debut. Mathis Mout found Varela on the edge of the penalty area, with the young forward receiving the ball with his back to goal before turning Manuel Akanji and firing a low shot into the far corner beyond the goalkeeper. The goal underlined Varela's rapid start to life at Monza. The 21-year...