Lautaro Martínez Brace Ensures Inter on Tail of Leaders
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez scored a second-half brace to secure his side a 2-0 victory at Pisa, ensuring the away side very much engaged in the Serie A championship battle in spite of a less than convincing performance.
Standings Overview
Led by manager Cristian Chivu, Inter now are placed third in the table with 27 points total, tied with second-placed Roma and just one point behind table-toppers Milan. Meanwhile, Pisa occupy the 18th spot with 10 points.
Match Summary
Inter arrived in Tuscany looking to get back on track after suffering a derby defeat by Milan recently, followed by a Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, they were made to battle all the way by newly-promoted Pisa. The home team generated numerous opportunities, but a clinical Inter scored the opener in the 69th minute mark when Argentine Martínez smacked a one-time shot into the roof of the net. The forward then finished from close range with seven minutes remaining.
The team’s capacity to score despite pressure was decisive in securing three points.
Other Continental Action
Across in Spain, Real Sociedad staged a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down to equalize at home against Villarreal, only to lose to a goal five minutes into added time. The visitors’ goals came from Ayoze Pérez shortly after the 30-minute mark and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute, but Carlos Soler quickly pulled one back and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. However, Moleiro delivered the final say late in added time.
Later on La Liga fixture, Real Madrid journey to Girona requiring a victory to return to the summit above Barcelona, who recorded a 3-1 win over Alavés on Saturday.
- Inter stay in tight contention for the Italian title.
- Martínez proved his value with a decisive display.
- The battle for first goes on with several clubs in the mix.
