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Inter round off pre-season with a win: 1-0 against Betis and Stones scores on his debut

Inter’s final friendly of this pre-season before the start of the campaign saw them win 1-0 against Real Betis

The start of the new 2026/2027 season is getting closer for Inter, who open against Monza in exactly seven days, on Saturday 23 August at San Siro. To get ready in the best possible way, Inter took on Real Betis today in Bari from 7.30pm at San Nicola in the last real friendly test of pre-season. Cristian Chivu's side won 1-0, and the scoreline hardly reflected what happened on the pitch.

Bari's attention focused less on Spence, only announced yesterday and out along with Thuram (still not yet at his best READ HERE), and more on the physical condition of players such as Stones and Lautaro, both on the bench at the start and never used until now. The answer came in the final score, because the winning goal was scored by the English defender himself, who marked his debut by turning in an aerial lay-off from Pavard after a Dimarco assist.

On the ball and in their control of the midfield tempo, Inter were better in the first half. After the break they were much better, dominating the pitch and carrying far more threat. Federico Dimarco again changed the face of the team and looked the sharpest along with Bonny, but Inter's attacking play ran into the gloves of Valles and Manu Gonzalez, as well as a touch of haste and inaccuracy that left the result in the balance for far too long.

Goals and key moments
89' CHANCE - Sucic breaks into the box and plays it wide to Lautaro, who nudges it on for Dimarco. His powerful low left-footed shot is once again saved by Gonzalez. Mkhitaryan gets to the rebound but does not catch it cleanly and sends it just wide.

82' GOAL - Stones scores on his debut! Mkhitaryan wins a free-kick in the final third and Dimarco delivers superbly to the back post. Pavard heads it back across goal and John Stones turns it into the net at the far post.

59' Dimarco switches play to Diouf, who takes an extra touch before laying it on for Barella, but under pressure he does not connect properly with his first-time effort. The ball runs to Dimarco, who hits a powerful left-footed shot but once again finds the goalkeeper in his way.

56' CHANCE - Bonny gets another chance, receiving the ball on the edge of the area before unleashing a powerful low right-footed strike. Manu Gonzalez gets down brilliantly to turn it behind for a corner.

51' CHANCE - Sucic plays it through for Bonny, who crosses to the back post for the unmarked Dimarco. His first-time ball back into the middle again finds Bonny, who snatches at a first-time left-footed effort and fails to trouble the goalkeeper.

49' Pio Esposito gets in behind, feints "Milito-style" and then curls a right-footed effort towards the far post, but a defensive deflection sends the ball out for a corner.

35' CHANCE - Calhanoglu wins the ball in the final third, slightly wide on the right, and lets fly with a powerful angled shot that skims the post to Valles' right.

14' CHANCE - Antony threatens Pepo Martinez this time. The winger cuts inside from the right onto his left foot and unleashes a powerful strike from the edge of the area that whistles just wide of the near post. The goalkeeper tells off his team-mates for the too much space they allowed.

8' Betis respond with a shot from the edge of the area by Fornals, comfortably gathered low down by Martinez.

6' CHANCE - Bonny wastes Inter's first clear opening. The Ivorian striker is first to make the difference in the high press that allows Pio Esposito to win back possession, but then gets his timing all wrong on Barella's cross and heads it incredibly high despite being unmarked.

4' Play stops for a long spell as the Betis medical staff attend to Hector Bellerin, who is down on the edge of his own penalty area. He will be replaced in the 9th minute.

0' Kick-off at the San Nicola in Bari at 7.30pm

Inter-Betis: the match report
Inter-Betis 1-0

Scorers: 82' Stones (I)

INTER (3-5-2): J. Martinez (62' Provedel); Bisseck (70' Stones), Bovio (46' Akanji), Bastoni (62' Pavard); Diouf (62' Luis Henrique), Barella (62' Mkhitaryan), Calhanoglu (46' Sucic), Zielinski (70' Stankovic), Carlos Augusto (46' Dimarco); Esposito (84' Iddrissou), Bonny (70' Lautaro).
Substitutes: Di Gennaro.
Manager: Cristian Chivu.

REAL BETIS (4-2-3-1): Valles (46' Gonzalez); Bellerin (9' Ortiz), Bartra, Natan, Fran García (73' Firpo); Facundo Bernal (61' Bouaré), Marc Roca (73' Fidalgo); Antony (61' Pablo Garcia), Fornals (46' Isco), Riquelme (73' Iker); Hernandez (61' Deossa).
Substitutes: D. Llorente, V. Gomez.
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini.

Referee: Mastrodomenico
Booked: Pio Esposito
Sent off: -