Lautaro Martínez Brace Ensures Inter Milan on Tail of Leaders
Inter striker Lautaro Martínez scored a second-half brace to earn his team a 2-0 victory at Pisa, ensuring the away side firmly involved in the Italian league title race despite a less than convincing performance.
League Table Overview
Under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter now sit in third position in the table with 27 points, tied with runner-up Roma and only one point behind leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa hold the 18th position with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter arrived in Tuscany aiming to get back on track after suffering a derby defeat by Milan recently, which was followed by a European defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, they were forced to fight throughout by newly-promoted Pisa. The home team created 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 seven minutes from time.
Inter’s ability to score despite difficult circumstances was decisive in earning the victory.
Other European Action
Across in Spain, the Basque side staged a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down to level at home against Villarreal, only to lose to a goal five minutes into added time. The visitors’ goals came from Ayoze Pérez just after the half-hour 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 delivered the final say deep into added time.
In the late Spanish match, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a win to return to the top ahead of Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 win over Alavés on the previous day.
- The Nerazzurri stay in tight contention for the Serie A crown.
- Martínez proved his value with a decisive display.
- The title race goes on with several teams in the mix.
