Lautaro Martínez Brace Ensures Inter Milan on Tail of Leaders
Inter striker Lautaro Martínez scored a second-half double to secure his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, keeping the away side firmly engaged in the Italian league championship battle despite a somewhat shaky performance.
League Table Overview
Under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter currently are placed in third position in the table with 27 points, tied with second-placed Roma and only one point adrift of table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa occupy the third bottom position with 10 points.
Match Summary
Inter arrived in Tuscany aiming 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 newly-promoted Pisa. The hosts created plenty of chances, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute mark when Argentine Martínez drilled a first-time shot into the top of the net. The forward then tapped in from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
Inter’s capacity to convert even with pressure was crucial in earning the victory.
Other European Action
In Spain, the Basque side staged a dramatic fightback from 2-0 down to equalize 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 half-hour mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler quickly pulled one back and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. However, Moleiro delivered the last word deep into stoppage time.
Later on Spanish fixture, Real Madrid travel to Girona needing a victory to return to the top above Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 win over Alavés on the previous day.
- The Nerazzurri remain in close contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his worth with a decisive performance.
- The title race goes on with several teams in the mix.
