Lautaro Martínez Double Keeps Inter Milan on Tail of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez scored a late double to earn his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, keeping the visitors very much involved in the Italian league title race in spite of a less than convincing performance.
League Table 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 table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa hold the 18th spot with 10 points.
Match Summary
Inter arrived in Tuscany looking to get back on track after suffering a derby defeat by Milan recently, which was followed by a European defeat at Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, they were forced to fight all the way by newly-promoted Pisa. The home team generated plenty of opportunities, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute mark when Argentinian Martínez drilled a one-time shot into the top of the net. The attacker then tapped in from close range with seven minutes remaining.
The team’s ability to convert even with difficult circumstances was decisive in securing three points.
Additional European Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side staged a thrilling fightback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to lose 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 pulled one back and Ander Barrenetxea leveled the score three minutes from time. However, Moleiro had the last word late in stoppage time.
In the late La Liga fixture, Real Madrid travel to Girona needing a win to go back to the summit ahead of Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on Saturday.
- Inter remain in close contention for the Serie A crown.
- Martínez proved his value with a match-winning performance.
- The battle for first goes on with several clubs in the mix.
