Cristian Chivu acknowledges Inter are the team to beat ahead of their opening Serie A match in 2026-27, but he believes the Nerazzurri can still improve following last season's Scudetto triumph.

Inter ran away with the title in their first campaign under Chivu in 2025-26, finishing 11 points clear of Napoli, who were defending champions under Antonio Conte.

They open the new season against Serie B play-off winners Monza on Saturday, and the Opta supercomputer rates their chances of retaining the title at a league-high 35.1%.

Inter saw Denzel Dumfries join Real Madrid, while experienced defenders Matteo Darmian, Stefan de Vrij and Francesco Acerbi also departed. 

But they have also been busy with their incomings, with Djed Spence, John Stones, Aleksandar Stankovic and Ivan Provedel all arriving, while Manuel Akanji's loan from Manchester City was made permanent.

"We are aware that we are always the team to beat and no one will give us anything," Chivu said on Friday. "We often talk about ambitions, and everyone starts from scratch. 

"I am interested in our growth, without being satisfied with what we have done. We have room for improvement."

Chivu is also confident Inter will keep hold of club captain Lautaro Martinez, who was the leading scorer in Serie A last season with 17 goals, but has again been linked with a move to Barcelona.

Asked about the Argentina international, who is available for Saturday's game despite having a shortened pre-season following the World Cup, Chivu said: "I fear nothing, and I'm here to talk about Monza. 

"Lautaro is our captain, and there will still be a lot of talk about him. I hold him close, and I think he will stay with us for a long time.

 day to go…  pic.twitter.com/k1NiHCQqwC

— Inter  (@Inter_en) August 21, 2026

"The market is always like this, news comes out... It's nice to talk about certain players because it means that they are recognised as great. Tomorrow, we'll see how he is."

Chivu was also asked what different qualities Spence would bring to Inter's backline, compared to the now-departed Dumfries. 

"I find it unfair to make comparisons; I can say that I am pleased he has room for improvement," Chivu said.

"[Spence] has been part of a competitive group for years and that wants to do so in the future as well."

Monza finished third in Serie B last term before drawing 2-2 on aggregate with Catanzaro in the play-offs, with their superior position in the league seeing them promoted. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter – Lautaro Martinez

With 132 Serie A goals to his name, Martinez is just one goal away from equalling Stefano Nyers (133) as the third-highest goalscorer for Inter in the competition, behind Giuseppe Meazza (197) and Benito Lorenzi (138). 

He has scored five goals in six league games against Monza, including two braces, and also netted six goals in six matches against promoted sides in Serie A last season.

= pic.twitter.com/8Ze8n2tYcG

— Inter  (@Inter_en) August 21, 2026

Monza – Patrick Cutrone 

Cutrone was involved in nine goals (six goals and three assists) in Serie B last season, including the play-offs.

Among all players involved in at least nine goals in Italy's second tier, he played the fewest games (20).

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER WIN 

This will be the third Lombardy derby to be played on matchday one in the last four Serie A seasons, after one between these same two sides in 2023-24, and Milan versus Cremonese last term. 

This is as many MD1 matches between Lombardy teams as there were in the previous 29 seasons, going back to the start of the three-points-for-a-win era (Inter v Brescia in 1997-98, Brescia v Milan in 2001-02 and Inter v Atalanta in 2015-16).

The Nerazzurri have lost just one of their 18 opening Serie A matches as champions (including after awarded titles, W10 D7) since 1929-30 – a 1-0 defeat to Venezia in 1940.

Monza, meanwhile, have never started a Serie A season with a win, drawing one MD1 game and losing two, including a 2-0 defeat in this exact fixture in 2023-24.

In the history of Serie A (since 1929-30), the reigning champions have lost their opening match of the season against a newly promoted side only once in 23 instances (W15 D7), so Inter's status as heavy favourites is warranted. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter – 74.9%

Monza – 9.7%

Draw 15.4%