Martínez Double Keeps Inter on Tail of Frontrunners
Inter striker Lautaro Martínez scored a late double to earn his team a 2-0 victory at Pisa, ensuring the visitors firmly engaged in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a somewhat shaky performance.
Standings Overview
Led by manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently are placed in third position in the standings with 27 points, tied with runner-up Roma and only one point adrift of leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa occupy the third bottom position with 10 points.
Game Summary
Inter traveled in Tuscany looking to return to winning ways after suffering a derby defeat by Milan recently, which was followed by a Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, they were forced to fight all the way by promoted Pisa. The hosts generated plenty of chances, but a efficient Inter scored the opener in the 69th minute mark when Argentine Martínez smacked a one-time shot into the top of the net. The forward then tapped in from point-blank seven minutes from time.
Inter’s ability to score even with pressure proved crucial in earning three points.
Additional European Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side mounted a thrilling 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 soon reduced the deficit and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. However, Moleiro had the last word late in stoppage time.
In the late Spanish fixture, Real Madrid travel to Girona needing a victory to go back to the summit ahead of Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on Saturday.
- Inter stay in close pursuit for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his value with a match-winning performance.
- The battle for first goes on with several teams competing.
