Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami kicked off their MLS Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday. The match, played in Fort Lauderdale, saw Messi’s side take an early lead through Luis Suarez’s second-minute strike. However, Atlanta United equalized just before halftime through Saba Lobjanidze’s 39th-minute goal.
The second half proved to be a tense affair, with both teams battling for control. In the 60th minute, Messi played a key role in Inter Miami’s winning goal. He passed to Jordi Alba on the left, who unleashed a powerful long-range shot that found the back of the net.
Speaking after the match, Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino praised his team’s performance. “We had control of the field for almost the entire game,” he said. “We didn’t make many mistakes and had several clear chances. If not for Brad Guzan’s performance, we could have won by a more significant margin.”
Messi, who finished the regular season with an impressive 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches, was the center of attention throughout the match. A “Messi-cam” was set up to livestream his every move on the MLS TikTok account.
The Argentine star has been instrumental in Inter Miami’s success this season, breaking several records. He became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, set the record for most assists in a single MLS game with five, and broke the record for most contributions in an MLS match with six in a 6-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
With the win, Inter Miami takes a 1-0 lead in the two-leg series. The second leg will be played in Atlanta on October 22.
