Monza 1-5 Internazionale: Lautaro Martínez, Hakan Calhanoglu dhe Marcus Thuram të gjithë shënojnë në fitoren e madhe.

Hakan Calhanoglu, Marcus Thuram, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were all in celebratory mood as FC Internazionale secured a convincing 5-1 victory over AC Monza in the Serie A TIM match on January 13, 2024. The win further solidified Inter’s position at the top of the league table, while Monza suffered their heaviest defeat since being promoted.

Inter wasted no time in asserting their dominance, scoring two goals within the first fifteen minutes of the game. The first goal came from a penalty, awarded after Roberto Gagliardini was deemed to have handled the ball while challenging Lautaro Martinez for a Nicolo Barella cross. Calhanoglu confidently converted the spot kick, sending the Monza keeper the wrong way.

Just two minutes later, Inter doubled their lead. Mkhitaryan initiated a blistering counter-attack, finding Federico Dimarco on the left, who delivered a perfect low cross into the middle. Martinez had no trouble meeting the ball and directing it into the net.

Despite their early dominance, Inter eased off the gas, allowing Monza to find hope of getting back into the game. Monza thought they had halved the deficit on the half-hour mark when Matteo Pessina expertly headed in an Andrea Colpani free-kick. However, the goal was disallowed due to a marginal offside decision.

In the second half, Inter adopted a more defensive approach, looking to capitalize on counter-attacking opportunities. Their third goal came from such a move, as Mkhitaryan found Thuram, who played a simple ball into the path of Calhanoglu for his second goal of the match.

Monza was awarded a penalty later in the game when Dany Mota was brought down by Matteo Darmian. Pessina confidently converted the spot kick, giving Monza a glimmer of hope. However, Inter quickly extinguished that hope when Lautaro Martinez scored his second goal of the game from another penalty.

The final blow was delivered by Thuram, as Lautaro carried the ball upfield before delivering a crossfield pass to the Frenchman. Thuram displayed his skill by toying with the Monza defense before firing a shot past the young Monza keeper.

One of the talking points of the match was Inter’s ability to score goals with ease. The team looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves, with Marcus Thuram particularly delighted to get on the scoresheet. There is a sense that when a team enjoys their football, they are more likely to win.

Lautaro Martinez was named the player of the match, showcasing his exceptional skills as a striker. Not only does he have double the goal tally of any other player in Serie A, but he also draws defenders, creates gaps for his teammates, and delivers inch-perfect crossfield passes.

Player ratings for the match were as follows:

Monza: Sorrentino 6, D’Ambrosio 5, Caldirola 4, Gagliardini 5; Pereira 5, Pessina 7, Bondo 6, Ciurra 6; Colpani 6, Mota 7; Carboni 6. Subs: Mari 6, Akpa-Akpro 4, Kyriakopoulos 6, Birindelli 6, Colombo 5

Inter: Sommer 6; Pavard 7, De Vrij 6, Bastoni 6, Darmian 6, Barella 7, Calhanoglu 8, Mkhitaryan 8, Dimarco 8; Thuram 8, Lautaro 9… Subs: Acerbi 7, Frattesi 7, Asllani 6, Carlos Augusto 6, Bisseck 6

The match highlights included Calhanoglu’s penalty goal in the 12th minute, Martinez’s goal in the 14th minute, Monza’s disallowed goal in the 30th minute, Calhanoglu’s second goal in the 60th minute, Pessina’s penalty goal in the 69th minute, Martinez’s second penalty goal in the 83rd minute, and Thuram’s goal in the 88th minute.