Lautaro Martínez Brace Ensures Inter on Tail of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a late double to secure his side a 2-0 win at Pisa, keeping the away side firmly engaged in the Serie A championship battle despite a less than convincing display.
League Table Update
Under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently are placed in third position in the standings with 27 points total, tied with runner-up Roma and only one point behind table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa hold the third bottom spot with 10 points.
Game Recap
Inter arrived in Tuscany aiming to return to winning ways after suffering a loss to rivals by Milan recently, followed by a Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, they were made to battle throughout by promoted Pisa. The hosts generated numerous opportunities, but a clinical Inter scored the opener in the 69th minute when Argentine Martínez smacked a one-time shot into the roof of the net. The attacker then tapped in from point-blank seven minutes from time.
Inter’s capacity to score despite difficult circumstances proved crucial in securing three points.
Other Continental Matches
In Spain, the Basque side mounted a thrilling fightback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a late strike five minutes into added time. Villarreal’s goals came from Ayoze Pérez shortly after the 30-minute mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler quickly reduced the deficit and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. Yet, Moleiro delivered the final say late in stoppage time.
Later on La Liga fixture, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a victory to go back to the summit ahead of Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 win over Alavés on the previous day.
- The Nerazzurri stay in close contention for the Serie A title.
- Martínez demonstrated his worth with a match-winning performance.
- The title race continues with several teams competing.