Martínez Double Keeps Inter on Tail of Frontrunners
Inter striker Lautaro Martínez scored a late brace to earn his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, ensuring the away side very much involved in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a somewhat shaky display.
Standings Overview
Led by manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently sit third in the standings with 27 points, level with second-placed Roma and just one point behind leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa occupy the 18th spot with 10 points.
Game Recap
Inter arrived in Tuscany aiming to get back on track after suffering a derby defeat by Milan last weekend, followed by a Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, they were made to battle all the way by newly-promoted Pisa. The hosts generated plenty of chances, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when Argentine Martínez smacked a one-time shot into the roof of the net. The attacker then finished from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
The team’s ability to score even with pressure was decisive in earning three points.
Other European Matches
In Spain, the Basque side mounted a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down to level at home against Villarreal, only to lose to a late strike five minutes into stoppage time. Villarreal’s scoring came from Ayoze Pérez just after the 30-minute 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 late in stoppage time.
In the late La Liga fixture, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a victory to go back to the summit ahead of Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on the previous day.
- The Nerazzurri stay in tight contention for the Serie A title.
- Martínez demonstrated his worth with a decisive performance.
- The battle for first continues with several teams competing.
