Martínez Brace Ensures Inter Milan in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a second-half brace to secure his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, keeping the away side very much involved in the Serie A championship battle despite a less than convincing performance.
League Table Update
Led by Cristian Chivu, Inter now sit in third position in the table with 27 points, tied with second-placed Roma and only one point behind leaders Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa hold the 18th position with 10 points.
Match Summary
Inter arrived in Tuscany looking to get back on track after suffering a loss to rivals by Milan recently, followed by a European defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, they were made to battle throughout by newly-promoted Pisa. The home team created plenty of opportunities, but a clinical Inter scored the opener in the 69th minute when Argentinian Martínez smacked a one-time shot into the top of the net. The attacker then finished from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
Inter’s capacity to score even with difficult circumstances was crucial in securing three points.
Other Continental Matches
Across in Spain, the Basque side staged a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a goal five minutes into added time. Villarreal’s goals came from Ayoze Pérez just after the half-hour mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler soon reduced the deficit and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. Yet, Moleiro delivered the last word late in stoppage time.
In the late La Liga fixture, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a win to return to the summit ahead of Barcelona, who secured a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on Saturday.
- The Nerazzurri stay in tight contention for the Serie A title.
- Martínez demonstrated his worth with a match-winning performance.
- The title race continues with multiple teams in the mix.
