Inter travels to Cagliari backed by goal-scoring debut against Monza

Some favorites wear the label before they even step onto the field, and this is one of those cases. Reigning Serie A champion Inter visits Cagliari at the Unipol Domus this Sunday for matchday two of the 2026-2027 Italian league season. The paper favorite is clear, but soccer has a way of reminding everyone that things on the field don't always go according to script.

Kickoff is set for 3:45 p.m. (Argentina and Uruguay time), 2:45 p.m. in Chile and 1:45 p.m. in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, with live coverage on the Disney+ Premium plan, exclusive to South America.

Two teams that started off on the right foot

The Nerazzurri arrive in Sardinia with the confidence of a side that just claimed another Serie A title and opened the new season in style, thrashing Monza 4-1 at home on opening day. Not bad at all for a team that also has one eye on its upcoming Champions League test, which kicks off in just a few days.

But Cagliari isn't coming in empty-handed either. The Sardinians opened their league campaign with a 1-0 road win over Parma, building on the solidity they'd already shown in the Coppa Italia, where they beat Arezzo by the same scoreline. This is not an opponent to take lightly on its own turf.

On the home side, keep an eye on Alessandro Romano, Gennaro Borrelli and Michel Adopo, names that have been central to Cagliari's strong start. For Inter, the usual suspects lead the way: Lautaro Martinez, the team's top scorer and captain, alongside Hakan Calhanoglu and young Pio Esposito, who has been steadily earning minutes and confidence.

What the last meeting between the two showed

The two sides last met on April 17 of this year, in the previous league season, and the result was a clear show of Inter's strength: a 3-0 win for the Milan club, with goals from Marcus Thuram, Nicolo Barella and Piotr Zielinski. That history carries some weight, though every match in soccer starts from zero, especially with a change of venue in play.

For Cagliari, this Sunday is a good chance to measure themselves against the reigning champion and confirm that the win over Parma was no fluke. For Inter, meanwhile, it's about keeping up the scoring rhythm shown on opening day and not letting their focus slip with European commitments on the horizon. Two different stories converging in Sardinia, with a home side looking to assert itself and a visitor unwilling to give up any ground in the title race.