Mar 17, 2025 08:11 AM IST
Lionel Messi He looked sharp on Monday and intercepted the ball outside the box, went to drop a defender and then clinically chipped the ball inside the net.
Lionel Messi is in no mood to slow down as he turned back the clock in Inter Miami’s clash against Atlanta United and scored an incredible goal to lead his team to a 2-1 win. Messi recovered fully from the injury and started for Inter Miami and didn’t take much time to make a big impact on the game. The visiting team was trailing 0-1 behind after Atlanta scored in the 11th minute of the game. Messi took the onus on himself and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper’s head to score the opening goal for Miami and level the scoreline.
Messi missed three games due to muscle fatigue before coming off the bench on Thursday night in a 2-0 win at Cavalier FC of Jamaica. He looked sharp on Monday and intercepted the ball outside the box, went to drop a defender and then clinically chipped the ball inside the net as it reminded many of his glorious days at FC Barcelona.
It was Messi’s second start for Miami, which had already played eight matches because of the Concacaf Champions Cup play.
Meanwhile, Fafa Picault scored a late goal in the dying minutes to seal the game for Miami 2-1 as the lead the Eastern Conference early in the season with three wins in four matches.
Both teams had plentiful chances for a second-half winner from open play, but the diminutive Picault providing an unlikely header ultimately decided affairs.
Jordi Alba got the ball out wide from a late short corner kick and served an outswinging ball to the back post. Picault outmuscled Ajani Fortune and sent a header bouncing back across goal, somehow wrong footing Guzan and nestling inside the far left post. It was Picault’s first goal for his sixth MLS club, having moved to Miami from Vancouver this offseason.
Messi will now get enough rest to regain full fitness for Inter Miami’s next clash as they host Philadelphia Union on March 29.
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