Lautaro Martínez Double Keeps Inter on Tail of Frontrunners
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a late brace to secure his team a 2-0 win at Pisa, keeping the visitors very much engaged in the Italian league championship battle in spite of a less than convincing display.
Standings Update
Under Cristian Chivu, Inter now sit in third position in the table with 27 points total, tied with second-placed Roma and just one point adrift of table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa occupy the 18th spot with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter traveled in Tuscany aiming to get back on track after suffering a loss to rivals by Milan recently, followed by a Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid. However, they were forced to fight all the way by promoted Pisa. The home team generated numerous chances, but a efficient Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute mark when Argentinian Martínez smacked a one-time shot into the top of the net. The attacker then tapped in from point-blank seven minutes from time.
The team’s capacity to score even with difficult circumstances proved crucial in securing the victory.
Other Continental Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side mounted a dramatic fightback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a late strike five minutes into added time. The visitors’ goals came from Ayoze Pérez just after the 30-minute mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler soon reduced the deficit and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. However, Moleiro had the last word deep into added time.
In the late La Liga match, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a victory to return to the summit above Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on Saturday.
- Inter remain in close contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez demonstrated his value with a decisive performance.
- The battle for first goes on with several teams in the mix.
