Inter pounced on Monza errors with Matteo Darmian and Lautaro Martinez, but were punished for sitting on their lead by a stoppage-time Luca Caldirola equaliser – with help from Denzel Dumfries.
The Nerazzurri were fresh from ending Napoli’s unbeaten record and blowing the Scudetto race wide open, but Marcelo Brozovic was still injured and Lautaro Martinez came in for Romelu Lukaku. The hosts had seven points from the last four games, conceding only two goals, and missed Stefano Sensi, Nicolò Rovella and Giulio Donati.
Dany Mota Carvalho’s header was just over after Patrick Ciurria got into a tangle of legs with Francesco Acerbi, but Inter took the lead when Alessandro Bastoni’s cross from the left went past everyone to find Matteo Darmian ready to volley in at the back post.
However, just over 60 seconds later it was level again, as Ciurria was given too much space inside the penalty area to control the Matteo Pessina pass and place a left-foot curler into the far bottom corner for his debut Serie A goal.
Andrea Petagna’s header went over the bar, but Pablo Mari on his first start since the stabbing attack in a shopping centre on October 27 was caught napping by Lautaro Martinez in the penalty area, robbing the defender to drill into an empty net.
Federico Dimarco blasted over after a cute give-and-go with Nicolò Barella, then Michele Di Gregorio palmed a Lautaro Martinez snapshot over the bar.
After the restart, Lautaro Martinez should’ve done better with his free header on a Dimarco set play, then Darmian’s low cross-shot was intercepted before Edin Dzeko could tap in.
Filippo Ranocchia tested Andre Onana with a long-range free kick and Onana scrambled to push Pablo Mari’s header off the line with help from Romelu Lukaku, as Inter sat deeper and deeper to protect their slender lead.
Francesco Acerbi had the ball in the net from a Kristjan Asllani free kick, but only after the whistle had blown for a Roberto Gagliardini push. Replays showed two Monza players tripped over each other, so Gagliardini was not responsible. As the whistle had already gone, VAR could not intervene.
Lautaro Martinez then saw his low right-foot curler denied by the base of the far post at the 84th minute, following a fine Bastoni run.
However, Monza punished Inter for their lack of ambition by snatching a stoppage-time equaliser. Filippo Ranocchia robbed Henrikh Mkhitaryan in midfield and Ciurria’s cross found both Luca Caldirola and Denzel Dumfries at the back post, the final touch probably off the Dutchman to loop past Onana. It was particularly special, because Caldirola was an Inter youth player.
Monza tried to win it in the final seconds, Onana scrambling to push a deflected attempt away, then on the resulting corner Caldirola’s free header was straight at him.
Monza 2-2 Inter
Darmian 10 (I), Ciurria 12 (M), Lautaro Martinez 22 (I), Caldirola 93 (M)
Inter is playing shameful football under Inzaghi. Actually not playing. Trying to survive against every opposition. Painful to watch them. Should be sacked at the end of the season. He’ll never win anything apart from Mickey mouse cups.
Expected with this kind of management! Excuses on the way! So overrated.