Martínez Double Ensures Inter Milan on Tail of Leaders
Inter striker Lautaro Martínez scored a second-half brace to secure his side a 2-0 win at Pisa, keeping the away side very much involved in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a less than convincing display.
League Table Update
Under Cristian Chivu, Inter now are placed in third position in the standings with 27 points total, level with second-placed Roma and just one point adrift of leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa hold the third bottom position with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter traveled in Tuscany looking to return to winning ways after suffering a loss to rivals by Milan recently, which was followed by a Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, they were made to battle throughout by newly-promoted Pisa. The hosts generated numerous opportunities, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute mark when Argentinian Martínez drilled a one-time shot into the top of the net. The forward then finished from close range seven minutes from time.
Inter’s ability to score even with pressure proved crucial in earning the victory.
Additional European Matches
In Spain, the Basque side staged a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a late strike five minutes into stoppage time. Villarreal’s scoring came from Ayoze Pérez just after the 30-minute mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler quickly pulled one back and Ander Barrenetxea leveled the score three minutes from time. Yet, Moleiro delivered the last word deep into stoppage time.
Later on La Liga fixture, Real Madrid travel to Girona needing a victory to return to the top ahead of Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 win over Alavés on the previous day.
- The Nerazzurri remain in tight contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his worth with a match-winning performance.
- The title race continues with several teams competing.
