Inter Milan and Monza meet for the seventh time today, Saturday, in the opening round of Serie A, broadcast on stc tv.
Opta's numbers make grim reading for Monza. The Nerazzurri have gone unbeaten in five of their six previous meetings with them, winning three and drawing two.
This weekend's fixture stages the Lombardy derby for the third time in the last four seasons in Serie A, 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 a single win in six previous Serie A trips to the San Siro against Inter or Milan, losing five. That win came on their first visit to the ground, a 1-0 defeat of Inter on 15 April 2023 through Luca Caldirola's goal in the 78th minute.
Inter carry serious pedigree into openers of their own. They have lost only one of the 18 opening matches they have played in Serie A as reigning champions since 1929/30, including titles awarded by administrative decision, winning 10 and drawing seven. The only defeat came against Venezia, 1-0, 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 2-0 defeat by Inter at the San Siro on 19 August 2023.
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History leans heavily one way here. Across the entire span of Serie A since 1929/30, the title holder has suffered only one defeat in an opening meeting against a newly promoted side, from 23 such instances, winning 15 and drawing seven. That loss came when Sampdoria beat Juventus 1-0 on 12 September 1982.
Inter have three wins in these meetings, among them derbies against Brescia in 1971 and Cremonese in 1989, plus a draw against Bari in 2009.
Tactically, Monza scored more goals from organised attacks of 10 passes or more in open play than any side in last season's second division, with eight, matching the record Inter set in Serie A last season alongside Como.
Inter racked up 124 goals in all competitions last term, including the Club World Cup, the highest scoring rate in their history since the current Serie A system began in 1929/30.
Lautaro Martinez sits on the brink of history. The Inter striker's 132 goals leave him one shy of Stefano Nyers on 133, which would make him the club's third-best scorer in Serie A behind Giuseppe Meazza on 197 and Benito Lorenzi on 138.
Monza hold few fears for the Argentine. Lautaro has scored 5 goals in 6 league matches against them, including two braces, and he added 6 goals in 6 matches against newly promoted sides in Serie A last season.
Over at Monza, Patrick Cutrone had a hand in nine goals last season in the second division, scoring six and setting up three, including the promotion play-offs. Among all the players who contributed the same number of goals, he did it in the fewest matches, just 20.