He contributed 2 goals and 1 assist to help Miami secure a 4-0 victory.
Goals for Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United:
Inter Miami: Messi (8′, 22′), Taylor (44′, 54′)
Red card for Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United:
Inter Miami: McVey (84′)
After a dream debut, scoring a free-kick to secure a 2-1 win for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul, Messi made his first start for the new team in the match against Atlanta United.
Despite the strong anticipation surrounding Messi’s presence, Inter Miami struggled in the early minutes. They allowed Atlanta to continuously press forward and had 2 extremely dangerous opportunities, including a disallowed goal due to offside and a shot hitting the post.
However, Messi’s superstar class came to the fore at the right moment when he broke the offside trap to receive a precise pass from Busquets. Facing Atlanta’s goalkeeper, La Pulga’s shot hit the post in the first attempt but he managed to score on the rebound.
With the deadlock broken, Inter Miami played with even more enthusiasm. They constantly threatened Atlanta’s goal and eventually, in the 22nd minute, Messi combined with Taylor before calmly slotting the ball into the net from inside the box to make it 2-0.
Messi continued to ignite Inter Miami’s attack and contributed to their third goal in the 44th minute, with Taylor again finding the back of the net. According to statistics, this was the first time in history that Inter Miami led by 3 goals in the first half.
In the second half, Inter Miami continued to increase their attacking prowess and added another goal in the 54th minute. Taylor was the scorer once again, with Messi providing the assist.
In the 78th minute, Messi left the field to a roaring ovation from the fans. Shortly after, Inter Miami conceded a penalty when McVey fouled an opponent inside the box and received a red card. However, Almada from Atlanta failed to beat goalkeeper Callender from the penalty spot.
The final result of the match was a convincing 4-0 victory for Inter Miami. Messi’s team secured their spot in the Round of 16 of the Leagues Cup in an impressive fashion.
Inter Miami’s lineup vs. Atlanta United:
Inter Miami: Callender, Yedlin, Miller, Kryvtsov (McVey 72′), Allen, Arroyo, Sergio Busquets (Ulloa 72′), Cremaschi (Ochoa 73′), Lionel Messi (Robinson 78′), Martinez, Taylor (Campana 82′)
Atlanta United: Guzan, Robinson, Sanchez (Hernandez 46′), Abram, Lennon, Sosa, Rossetto (Alonso 65′), Wiley (Etienne 80′), Giakoumakis (Berry 65′), Almada, Wolff (Palacios 46′)
