Martínez Double Ensures Inter in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez scored a second-half brace to earn his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, ensuring the away side very much involved in the Italian league championship battle in spite of a less than convincing performance.
League Table Overview
Led by manager Cristian Chivu, Inter now sit third in the table with 27 points total, tied with second-placed Roma and just one point behind leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa occupy the third bottom position with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter arrived in Tuscany aiming to get back on track after suffering a derby defeat by Milan last weekend, which was followed by a Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, they were made to battle throughout by newly-promoted Pisa. The hosts created plenty of chances, but a efficient Inter scored the opener in the 69th minute mark when Argentine Martínez drilled a first-time shot into the roof of the net. The attacker then tapped in from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
Inter’s capacity to convert despite difficult circumstances proved decisive in earning the victory.
Additional European Action
In Spain, Real Sociedad mounted a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to level at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a late strike five minutes into added time. Villarreal’s scoring came from Ayoze Pérez just after the 30-minute mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler quickly pulled one back and Ander Barrenetxea leveled the score three minutes from time. Yet, Moleiro delivered the final say late in stoppage time.
In the late Spanish fixture, Real Madrid travel to Girona requiring a win to go back to the top ahead of Barcelona, who secured a 3-1 win over Alavés on Saturday.
- Inter stay in tight contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his worth with a match-winning display.
- The battle for first continues with multiple teams in the mix.
