Lautaro Martínez Double Keeps Inter Milan in Pursuit of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez scored a second-half brace to earn his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, keeping the away side very much engaged in the Serie A title race in spite of a somewhat shaky performance.
Standings Update
Led by manager Cristian Chivu, Inter now sit third in the table with 27 points, tied with second-placed Roma and just one point behind leaders Milan. In contrast, Pisa hold the third bottom spot with 10 points.
Match Recap
Inter traveled in Tuscany aiming to return to winning ways after enduring a loss to rivals by Milan recently, which was followed by a Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, they were forced to fight throughout by newly-promoted Pisa. The home team generated plenty of opportunities, but a clinical Inter broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when Argentine Martínez drilled a one-time shot into the roof of the net. The forward then finished from close range with seven minutes remaining.
Inter’s ability to convert despite pressure proved decisive in earning the victory.
Additional European Action
In Spain, Real Sociedad staged a thrilling fightback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to lose to a late strike 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 quickly reduced the deficit and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. Yet, Moleiro delivered the last word late in added time.
In the late La Liga match, Real Madrid travel to Girona requiring a win to return to the top above Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 triumph over Alavés on Saturday.
- The Nerazzurri stay in tight pursuit for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his worth with a match-winning performance.
- The title race continues with multiple teams in the mix.
