Inter found it tougher than expected against Monza, fighting back from 2-0 down including a Keita Balde Diao screamer, with Marko Arnautovic, Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez.
The Nerazzurri were fresh from a solid draw away to Napoli and midweek won the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, 2-0 away to Feyenoord. Federico Dimarco, Nicola Zalewski and Matteo Darmian were still injured, with Carlos Augusto and Yann Sommer only fit for the bench, so Alessandro Bastoni was again a makeshift wing-back on the left. Monza missed Luca Caldirola, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, Patrick Ciurria, Andrea Carboni, Stefano Sensi and Roberto Gagliardini, but had ex-Inter players Keita Balde Diao, Danilo D’Ambrosio, Matteo Pessina and Kevin Maussi Martins, the son of Obafemi Martins.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Keita and Bianco drilled wide from distance for Monza, but Stefano Turati needed a tough reaction save on Marko Arnautovic’s header from a Nicolò Barella cross and Danilo D’Ambrosio stopped the Hakan Calhanoglu cross-shot reaching Arnautovic.
On that corner, Turati parried the Lautaro Martinez header and the captain turned in the rebound, but it was disallowed because the ball had struck the Argentina international’s hand.
Francesco Acerbi’s strike was deflected onto the side-netting and Barella hit his volley too well straight at Turati on a corner.
Instead, Monza took a shock lead at San Siro when Samuele Birindelli cut inside from the left, Dany Mota Carvalho’s cheeky back-heel flick returned the pass and his angled drive beat Josep Martinez into the far bottom corner.
Kevin Zeroli charged down the Denzel Dumfries strike and Bastoni nodded the resulting corner inches wide.
Despite all the pressure, Inter went 2-0 down, as Keita cut inside from the left and bent a sensational right-foot finish into the far top corner from the edge of the area. It was the ideal way to celebrate his 30th birthday.
Arnautovic was ready to nod in during first half stoppages, as Dumfries with a towering header knocked down the Mkhitaryan ball to the back post and reduce the deficit going into the break.
Carlos Augusto came on for the restart, returning Bastoni to central defence, and Dumfries forced a save at the near post with his angled drive, while Lautaro Martinez’s overhead kick and a header on the Dumfries cross were both off target.
Inter drew level when Yann Bisseck knocked down a cross for Calhanoglu on the edge of the area, keeping the volley hard and low into the near bottom corner.
Marcus Thuram came on and immediately nodded a Barella cross over, while Keita Balde’s attempt was charged down, but there was more bad news for Inter when Piotr Zielinski pulled up clutching his calf just minutes after coming on and had to hobble off.
The Nerazzurri did turn the game around completely when Carlos Augusto stood up a cross for the Lautaro Martinez diving header, holding off Georgios Kyriakopoulos, and Turati’s desperate one-handed save was not enough to stop the ball crossing the line. The Lega Serie A later credited it as a Kyriakopoulos own goal.
It should’ve been 4-2 when Bastoni’s nutmeg sparked a dangerous attack, but Marcus Thuram incredibly prodded the tap-in onto the upright from point-blank range.
Turati flew to palm a long-range Calhanoglu curler round the far post, while a double Lautaro Martinez chance on a corner was charged down.
Inter 3-2 Monza
Birindelli 32 (M), Keita Balde 44 (M), Arnautovic 45 (I), Calhanoglu 64 (I), Kyriakopoulos og 78 (I)
Player statistic
| 32' |  |
Samuele Birindelli (Assist: Dany Mota) | ||
| 38' |  |
Armando Izzo | ||
| 44' | |
Keita Baldé (Assist: Dany Mota) | ||
| Marko Arnautovic (Assist: Denzel Dumfries) |
|
45+1' |
| Hakan Calhanoglu (Assist: Yann Bisseck) |
|
64' | ||
| Georgios Kyriakopoulos |  |
77' |
Match statistic
Such a lethargic performance … we are playing the ugliest football starting the Conte era … Inzaghi is at Inter only because he is lucky … no better than Concecao
Needed an own goal from a bottom club for victory is not pretty, but anything to retain #1 spot is more important.