Lautaro Martínez Double Keeps Inter Milan in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a second-half brace to secure his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, keeping the visitors very much involved in the Italian league championship battle in spite of a somewhat shaky performance.
Standings Overview
Under Cristian Chivu, Inter now are placed third in the table with 27 points, level with runner-up Roma and only one point adrift of table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa occupy the third bottom spot with 10 points.
Game Recap
Inter traveled in Tuscany looking to return to winning ways after suffering a derby defeat by Milan recently, followed by a European defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, they were made to battle all the way by promoted Pisa. The home team generated plenty of chances, but a efficient Inter scored the opener in the 69th minute when Argentine Martínez drilled a first-time shot into the roof of the net. The forward then finished from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
Inter’s ability to score despite difficult circumstances proved decisive in earning three points.
Other European Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side staged a dramatic fightback from 2-0 down to level at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a late strike five minutes into added time. The visitors’ 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. However, Moleiro had the last word late in added time.
In the late La Liga fixture, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a victory to go back to the summit above Barcelona, who secured a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on the previous day.
- Inter remain in close contention for the Italian crown.
- Martínez demonstrated his value with a decisive performance.
- The title race continues with multiple teams in the mix.
