Inter Miami ended a five-game winless run with a dominant 7-1 victory over Montreal on Saturday, with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi delivering an outstanding performance by scoring four goals. The defending MLS Cup champions, who had struggled since returning to play following the World Cup, reasserted their dominance at the Nu Stadium against the Canadian side’s struggling squad.
Brazil’s Casemiro opened the scoring with a header in the 20th minute, but Montreal responded quickly with Fabian Herbers equalizing before halftime. Messi then took control of the match, first restoring Miami’s lead with a free kick in the 40th minute before adding a second shortly after the restart. He set up fellow former Barcelona player Luis Suarez for the fourth goal, demonstrating his playmaking abilities alongside his finishing prowess.
The Argentine legend continued his masterclass by completing a hat-trick in the 83rd minute with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper. Alex Shaw added a sixth goal before Messi capped off the rout with another free-kick goal in stoppage time, bringing his season tally to 17 goals and securing the MLS scoring lead.
The emphatic victory positions Miami in second place in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind leaders Nashville. Montreal, meanwhile, remains second-to-last in the conference standings.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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