Martínez Brace Keeps Inter Milan in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a late brace to earn his team a 2-0 victory at Pisa, keeping the away side firmly involved in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a somewhat shaky performance.
League Table Update
Under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently are placed third in the standings with 27 points total, tied with runner-up Roma and just one point adrift of table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa occupy the third bottom position with 10 points.
Match Summary
Inter arrived in Tuscany looking to return to winning ways after suffering a derby defeat by Milan last weekend, which was followed by a European loss at Atlético Madrid. However, they were made to battle all the way by newly-promoted Pisa. The hosts created numerous chances, but a efficient Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute mark when Argentinian Martínez smacked 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 proved decisive in earning the victory.
Additional Continental Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side staged a thrilling fightback from 2-0 down to level at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a goal five minutes into added 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 equalised three minutes from time. However, Moleiro had the final say late in stoppage time.
In the late La Liga fixture, Real Madrid travel to Girona requiring a win to go back to the top above Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on Saturday.
- The Nerazzurri remain in close contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his value with a decisive display.
- The title race continues with several clubs competing.
