Monza vs. Inter Milan | Serie A | Pre Match

Having made a strong start to their title defence, reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan return from the international break on Sunday evening, as they meet Monza.

Inter face another Lombardy derby after swatting Atalanta BC aside last time out, while their hosts are still seeking a first league win of the 2024-25 campaign.

After starting their quest to retain the Scudetto with a draw in Genoa, Inter then stepped up a gear in their two subsequent matches before international football intervened.

One week after beating Lecce 2-0, the Nerazzurri stormed into an early two-goal lead against Atalanta at San Siro, and a second-half brace from France forward Marcus Thuram saw them stroll to an unexpectedly straightforward 4-0 win.

Last season, Inter remained unbeaten against all of their main rivals en route to the title, and having continued in that vein versus La Dea, they will now aim to get back into the groove when away from their second-city headquarters.

A streak of seven consecutive away wins helped them pull clear of the pack last term, but Simone Inzaghi's side have since won only one of their last four away matches - and after making the short trip to Monza, they will be truly put to the test in England.

Manchester City are Inter's opening Champions League opponents next Wednesday, just four days ahead of the season's first Milan derby.

Before such a seismic few days for the Italian champions, they will try to maintain their unbeaten record at U-Power Stadium, where a total of 10 goals have been shared in two previous top-flight visits to their neighbours.

Including a couple of defeats to Inter last season, Monza have lost six of their last seven Serie A games against opponents from their home region, Lombardy.

The sole exception was a shock win over AC Milan in February, and the Biancorossi have conceded an average of 3.1 goals per game during that time.

More pertinently, Monza's failure to get three points over the line against Fiorentina last time out means they are now without a win in their last 12 league matches - the longest run of any team currently in Italy's top tier.

They have failed to score in half of those fixtures, highlighting a significant issue for new boss Alessandro Nesta to resolve if he is to meet the club's ambition of another mid-table finish.

Though Nesta's men scored twice against Fiorentina - before letting that lead slip and conceding a 96th-minute equaliser - they have still attempted the fewest shots (19) in Serie A this season and rely heavily on veteran striker Milan Djuric to find the net.

Simone Inzaghi should have Davide Frattesi and Stefan de Vrij at his disposal after both overcame thigh injuries, as he ponders the possibility of squad rotation ahead of a huge week in Europe and then back home in Milan.

Therefore, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez - on Argentina duty for the past fortnight - could be among those rested, with Marko Arnautovic and Mehdi Tahremi both standing ready to partner Marcus Thuram in attack. The latter has scored four goals in his first three league games this season.

After Nicolo Barella missed Italy's UEFA Nations League games due to scheduled sinus surgery, he should be available for selection this weekend, leaving Canada international Tajon Buchanan as the visitors' only confirmed absentee.

Monza are still without goalkeeper Alessio Cragno - sidelined by a shoulder injury - and wing-back Patrick Ciurria (knee), while Dany Mota's presence is in some doubt.

With Mota not available to start, Alessandro Nesta is likely to pair Gianluca Caprari and ex-Milan forward Daniel Maldini behind main marksman Milan Djuric.

Maldini has the Biancorossi's best minutes-per-goal average in 2024 - one every 107 minutes - and will be doubly keen to score on Sunday. However, Djuric has failed to find the net in 448 minutes played against Inter in Serie A.