Lionel Messi returned from a couple of weeks on the sidelines due to physical issues, and on Saturday night, he found the back of the net for Inter Miami in their 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.
Leo started the game on the bench, as head coach Javier Mascherano decided to rest him considering the recent inactivity of the Argentine forward. However, Inter Miami did not need their star player to make the difference during the first half.
In the 23rd minute, Jordi Alba found space to make a run down the left side, sending a low pass across the box that reached Benjamin Cremaschi. The young midfielder took his time and provided a great assist to Robert Taylor, who only needed to gently tap the ball into the net to score.
With that lead, the Herons had enough composure to control the ball and prevent Philadelphia from threatening, although the narrow margin on the scoreboard kept them from fully relaxing.
Messi made an immediate impact
In the 10th minute of the second half, Mascherano decided to bring Lionel Messi onto the field, substituting Robert Taylor. The Argentine superstar made an immediate impact, as it took him just two minutes to help his team extend their lead on the scoreboard.
Fafa Picault received the ball near the opponent’s box, slightly to the left side of the field. He waited for his teammates to close in and passed it to Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan forward then assisted Messi, who entered the box and with his right foot fired a beautiful low shot that left goalkeeper Andre Blake with no chance of reacting.
Philadelphia put Inter Miami under pressure
With the score at 2-0, the game seemed to be going heavily in favor of Inter Miami. However, Philadelphia Union didn’t give up and were eventually rewarded. In the 34th minute of the second half, Daniel Gazdag received a cross from the right by Quinn Sullivan, controlled the ball, and fired a powerful shot to score.
However, in the final minutes, Inter Miami defended well and didn’t face any serious threats to their goal. In fact, they had several opportunities to extend their lead, but Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi couldn’t find the necessary precision to score.