Martínez Double Ensures Inter in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez scored a late brace to secure his team a 2-0 victory at Pisa, keeping the visitors firmly engaged in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a somewhat shaky performance.
League Table Overview
Led by manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently are placed third in the standings with 27 points, tied with runner-up 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 looking to return to winning ways after suffering a derby defeat 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 hosts created plenty of chances, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute mark when Argentine Martínez smacked a first-time shot into the roof of the net. The forward then tapped in from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
The team’s capacity to score despite pressure proved crucial in earning three points.
Other European Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side staged a dramatic fightback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to lose to a goal five minutes into stoppage time. The visitors’ scoring came from Ayoze Pérez just after the half-hour mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler soon pulled one back and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. Yet, Moleiro had the final say deep into stoppage time.
In the late La Liga match, Real Madrid travel to Girona requiring a victory to return to the summit above Barcelona, who secured a 3-1 win over Alavés on Saturday.
- The Nerazzurri remain in tight contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez demonstrated his value with a decisive performance.
- The title race goes on with several clubs competing.
