Lautaro Martínez Double Ensures Inter on Tail of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a late brace to earn his side a 2-0 win at Pisa, keeping the away side firmly involved in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a less than convincing performance.
Standings Overview
Under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently sit third in the table with 27 points, level with second-placed Roma and just one point adrift of leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa hold the third bottom spot with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter arrived in Tuscany aiming to get back on track after suffering a derby defeat by Milan recently, followed by a European defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, they were forced to fight throughout by promoted Pisa. The home team generated plenty of opportunities, but a efficient Inter scored the opener in the 69th minute mark when Argentinian Martínez drilled a first-time shot into the roof of the net. The forward then tapped in from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
Inter’s ability to score despite difficult circumstances was decisive in securing the victory.
Other European Matches
In Spain, the Basque side mounted a dramatic fightback from 2-0 down to level at home against Villarreal, only to lose to a late strike five minutes into stoppage time. Villarreal’s goals came from Ayoze Pérez shortly after the half-hour mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler quickly reduced the deficit and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. However, Moleiro delivered the last word deep into stoppage time.
In the late La Liga fixture, Real Madrid travel to Girona needing a win to return to the top above Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 win over Alavés on Saturday.
- Inter stay in tight contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez demonstrated his value with a match-winning display.
- The battle for first continues with multiple teams competing.
