Six debuts, one return and an unstoppable Lauti: Inter's opener
Team
— Aug 20th 2023The stats and facts from the Nerazzurri's victory over Monza
OPENING DAY DELIGHT
With the win over Monza, Inter recorded their fifth straight opening-day victory. This is the third time Inter have managed the feat, having previously done it between 1951 and 1955 and between 1993 and 1997.
Inter are unbeaten in their last 19 matchday 1 fixtures in Serie A with 16 wins and three draws, the longest streak in the division.
NEW FACES
Various new Inter signings got their first competitive minutes for the Club in last night's win. Six players made their official debuts for Inter, two of whom started. Marcus Thuram and Yann Sommer both played from the first minute, with the Swiss shot-stopper keeping his first clean sheet in Serie A. Juan Cuadrado, Carlos Augusto, Davide Frattesi and Yann-Aurel Bisseck all came on in the second half.
MARKO ARNAUTOVIC, 4,865 DAYS ON
He left the Club in 2010 with just three appearances to his name; the last was at home to Atalanta on 24 April 2010. Marko Arnautovic yesterday played his first game for the Nerazzurri in 4,865 days. The Austrian striker replaced Thuram and played 28 minutes in front of a jubilant San Siro crowd, even setting Lautaro up for his second goal.
NEW SEASON, SAME TORO
Lautaro Martínez won it for the Nerazzurri with a brace against Monza, his 13th multiple-goal haul in Serie A since his debut in 2018/19. In the same period, only Cristiano Ronaldo and Ciro Immobile have done better.
Lautaro has scored 16 Serie A goals since the start of 2023, behind only Victor Osimhen (19). The Argentinian has scored four braces in the league in this calendar year; only Kylian Mbappé and Victor Osimhen have more (both 5). El Toro is now on 104 goals in total in an Inter shirt, having reached the number in his first competitive match as Inter's captain.
MILESTONES FOR MKHITARYAN AND BASTONI
Against Monza, Henrikh Mkhitaryan made his 50th appearance in an Inter shirt. His appearance breakdown: 32 appearances in Serie A, 13 in the Champions League, four in the Coppa Italia and one in the Supercoppa. Alessandro Bastoni played his 150th game in Serie A: of these, 119 have been in an Inter shirt (almost 80%).