Messi scores twice for Inter Miami
Atlanta entered the game better than Inter Miami. In the first minute, Giorgos Giakoumakis kicked the ball into goalkeeper Drake Callender's hand, and then flew over the crossbar. About two minutes later, Brooks Lennon crossed the right wing over Callender's head, but the ball bounced off the post.
After two exits, Inter Miami began to play more stable. Messi was the player who made the turning point for the game. After the corner shot turned up the column in the eighth minute, the Argentine striker jumped in to open the score.
After scoring, Inter Miami completely controlled the game. Had a better finish from Messi's heel strike in the 12th minute, Josef Martinez could have made it 2-0. But Inter Miami fans did not have to wait long. In the 22nd minute, the team of former player David Beckham had the second goal and the one who scored again was Messi. After Robert Taylor's left wing cross, the captain's striker bounced the ball from six yards into the net of Atlanta United.
Sergio Busquets also shines in the midfield. Thanks to the former Barca midfielder's rhythmic and ball distribution, Inter Miami controlled the ball 55% and finished on target seven times. They decided the game's fate in the 44th minute. After a pass from Benjamin Cremaschi's penalty area, Taylor volleyed into the top corner to make it 3-0.
Inter Miami still maintains the pressure after the break. In the 54th minute, Messi responded to Taylor with a slit down the left wing. The Finnish player adjusted a beat, then shot diagonally to seal a 4-0 victory. Taylor also has a double like Messi.
After making a big difference, Busquets and Messi left the field in the 72nd and 78th minutes respectively. The remaining efforts only brought Atlanta a penalty in the 84th minute. However, Thiago Almada - Messi's teammate in Argentina team - broken stone.
The win over Atlanta helps Inter Miami consolidate its position at the top of the South 3 group of the Leagues Cup. Messi and his teammates currently have six points from two games. In the first match, they beat Cruz Azul 2-1 with a free kick to set the score of rookie Argentina. The current score is enough to help Inter Miami soon enter the round of 16, while Cruz Azul and Atlanta United compete for the remaining tickets in the direct confrontation on July 29.
On the MLS eastern table, Atlanta is currently seventh with 35 points. Meanwhile, Inter Miami is last with 18 points. However, the arrival of Messi and Busquets could improve the position for Inter Miami next time. After the first two games playing for the American team, the Argentine striker had three goals.
