Inter-Monza, the player ratings: Pio Esposito must be a starter, Diouf decisive. Poor from Akanji and Lautaro, Pizzignacco what are you doing?

Martinez 5.5: blameless on Varela's goal, but he takes too many risks with the ball at his feet.

Bisseck 7: he comes out best of the back three. Alert, quick in his interventions and precise in the build-up. He scores a fine goal with an individual move that brings the whole of San Siro to its feet. And perhaps also the Monza defence, who culpably stand and watch.

Akanji 5: too soft in his marking of Varela. Someone with his experience cannot look like a beginner. He left his leadership and assurance in the dressing room. The header that struck the bar does not earn him any points (75' Stones n/a: comes on to applause, with the game already over)

Bastoni 5.5:he nearly makes a mess of it on Varela with a disastrous square pass. He does not look watertight. He needs to clear away some toxins, for the good of Inter and Italy.

Diouf 7: Chivu is right, he works as a wide player cutting inside. Two assists and plenty of good play. There is also the defensive side, of course, but against this Monza his lapses are forgiven. Right now, he is an added value for Inter and first choice on the right (75' Luis Henrique n/a: comes on with the game already over)

Barella 6.5:he goes close to a great goal with a curling effort, already looks sharp, and you can see he is itching to tear the world apart. Inter are renewing themselves and signing midfielders, but Barella is still a certainty.

Calhanoglu 6: scores the first goal of Serie A 2026-27 with a thunderbolt that catches Pizzignacco by surprise. Otherwise, it is an uninspiring match, short on invention. He gets too many simple passes wrong and, already booked, comes off before the half-hour mark (54' Sucic: excellent impact, involved in the moves for 3-1 and 4-1. He will have to climb the pecking order, but he is there)

Zielinski 6:in the first half he strolls around the pitch and never finds the right path. He gets his goal thanks to a gift from Pizzignacco, who leaves him an empty net with a disastrous rush out. Once Monza's press drops in intensity, he comes out of his shell and becomes authoritative (83' Stankovic: n/a)

Dimarco 6: he pushes forward less than usual and defends poorly, at least while Monza still have the energy to attack. He is not yet in league form and struggles to get up and down. He seems to play with weights attached to his ankles, but his left foot is a treasure of football. And he always finds a way to make the difference.

Lautaro 5:he starts the match, perhaps to completely silence the transfer rumours and to reiterate "I am the captain and I am staying here", but he has only had a few training sessions in his legs and it shows. Generosity is not enough. He does little and makes a mess of plenty (54' Bonny 6.5: sharper than Lautaro, plays a vibrant game and drives the Monza defence mad)

Esposito 8:they never shift him and he plays mainly for the team. He battles physically, works as a target man and opens up spaces. He is involved in the move for Inter's lead, then scores a real No 9's goal with a magnificent backheel. Message to Thuram: Pio is no longer a kid. He wants to force his way through and deserves space. He deserves to be a starter.

Chivu 7:in the first halfthis is not the best version of Inter, but he knows that too. He corrects the mistakes and understands when to intervene. Excellent in the management of the substitutions, the moments and the group. The players appreciate him.

Pizzignacco 4: beaten by Calhanoglu's powerful but central effort, and his rush off the line for Zielinski's goal for 2-1 is not acceptable at this level. He gets almost everything wrong. Right now, he is a liability for Monza. They may need to start thinking about a new goalkeeper.

Kouadio 5: brave and composed for a spell, keeping Lautaro under control, but at this level one good half is not enough. Inter's second-half onslaught swallows him up.

Lucchesi 4.5: Pio Esposito will haunt him tonight. He never stops him, never gets close to him. A night of pure suffering.

Carboni 5.5: defensively, he struggles to read the game and gets bullied physically. He is better when building from the back. He serves up a gift for Varela with a perfect assist.

Birindelli 5.5: Diouf gives him a torrid time, but he deserves credit for keeping his intensity up throughout. He showed a few encouraging signs in the first half, including a couple of interesting crosses.

Foe-Ondoa 5.5: he certainly does not lack courage, taking on Inter without any fear, but he fades out of the game far too quickly.

Mout 6.5: full of personality on his Serie A debut, and he also laid on the assist for Varela. Not bad at all for a player born in 2007 (69' Galazzi 5.5: best remembered for blasting a shot over the bar)

Bakoune 6: his first half was that of a veteran, then he falls apart after the break when Monza lose their shape (69' Cutrone 6: one good pass, one chance created. He comes on and immediately looks capable of causing problems).

Colpani 5.5: out wide, he struggles badly, and effort alone is not enough. Unsurprisingly, he looks better when he gets to attack. A player of his talent is wasted out there on the right (69' Forson 6: introduced when the game is already gone, he still plays his part)

Varela 7: a constant nuisance for Inter's defence, he takes his goal brilliantly by holding off Akanji and guiding it across goal into the far corner. He can be a real asset. He has talent and knows where the goal is (82' Robinson n/a)

Mangas 5: an erratic display with no standout moments

Juric 6: he set Monza up well. They conceded, but never allowed themselves to be pinned back. In the first half they played really well and deserved to be level. His side fell apart after the break, but with so many absentees and so many young players on the pitch, he could not have asked for more.