Lautaro Martínez Brace Ensures Inter Milan in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a second-half brace to secure his team a 2-0 win at Pisa, keeping the visitors very much involved in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a somewhat shaky performance.
League Table Update
Under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter now sit third in the standings with 27 points, level with second-placed Roma and just one point behind table-toppers Milan. In contrast, Pisa hold the 18th spot with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter traveled in Tuscany aiming to get back on track after enduring a derby defeat by Milan last weekend, followed by a Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, they were forced to fight all the way by promoted Pisa. The home team created plenty of opportunities, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute mark when Argentinian Martínez smacked a first-time shot into the roof of the net. The attacker then finished from point-blank seven minutes from time.
The team’s ability to convert even with difficult circumstances was decisive in securing the victory.
Other Continental Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side staged 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 scoring came from Ayoze Pérez just 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. However, Moleiro delivered the final say deep into stoppage time.
Later on La Liga fixture, Real Madrid journey to Girona needing a victory to return to the summit ahead of Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 win over Alavés on Saturday.
- The Nerazzurri stay in tight contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his worth with a decisive performance.
- The title race goes on with several teams in the mix.
