Martínez Double Keeps Inter Milan in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez netted a late double to earn his side a 2-0 win at Pisa, keeping the away side very much involved in the Italian league championship battle in spite of a somewhat shaky performance.
Standings Update
Under Cristian Chivu, Inter now are placed in third position in the standings with 27 points total, tied with runner-up Roma and only one point adrift of table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa occupy the third bottom position with 10 points.
Game Summary
Inter arrived in Tuscany aiming to get back on track after enduring a derby defeat by Milan last weekend, which was followed by a Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, they were forced to fight all the way by newly-promoted Pisa. The home team created plenty of chances, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when Argentinian Martínez smacked a first-time shot into the top of the net. The attacker then finished from point-blank with seven minutes remaining.
The team’s capacity to score even with difficult circumstances proved decisive in securing the victory.
Other Continental Matches
In Spain, Real Sociedad staged a thrilling fightback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to succumb to a late strike five minutes into stoppage time. Villarreal’s scoring 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. Yet, Moleiro delivered the last word deep into added time.
In the late La Liga match, Real Madrid travel to Girona needing a win to go back to the top above Barcelona, who secured a 3-1 win over Alavés on Saturday.
- The Nerazzurri remain in tight pursuit for the Italian crown.
- Martínez proved his value with a decisive performance.
- The title race continues with several clubs in the mix.
