ATLANTA — Lionel Messi delivered two second-half goals across a four-minute span Saturday night to carry Inter Miami to a 3-1 road victory against Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The 39-year-old forward also contributed to the opening goal, helping defending champion Miami secure its third straight victory as the Major League Soccer regular season winds down, according to the Associated Press.
A decisive four-minute burst
Neither side broke through during the initial stages until the final minute of the first half. Messi headed a ball toward Luis Suárez, who shook off an Atlanta defender and crossed to Germán Berterame for a headed finish in the 45th minute, AFP reported. The score marked Berterame’s ninth goal in 26 league appearances.
Messi doubled the advantage in the 56th minute. Cutting inward from the right wing, he exchanged passes with Berterame before weaving through the Atlanta back line and sliding a left-footed strike past goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos, according to ESPN.
Four minutes later, Suárez sprang Messi on a fast break. Messi maneuvered past defender Junior Alonso and slotted another left-footed shot into the net to extend the advantage to 3-0, AFP reported. The strike lifted Messi’s career total to 936 goals, according to ESPN.
Atlanta denied Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair a shutout in the 89th minute, when former Miami forward Fafà Picault converted a penalty kick, the Associated Press reported.
Chasing league scoring records
Messi’s offensive showing gave him 25 goals on the year, placing him six ahead of FC Dallas forward Petar Musa and Philadelphia Union attacker Milan Iloski in the Golden Boot chase, AFP reported. The performance also pulled Messi level with Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min for the league lead in assists at 15.
With that assist on Berterame’s goal, Messi became the first player in MLS history to record at least 15 assists across three consecutive campaigns, according to the Associated Press. Messi and Josef Martínez are also the only two players in league history to score at least 25 goals in multiple regular seasons.
According to the Associated Press, Messi now has 40 combined goals and assists this season, sitting nine contributions behind the single-season league record set by Carlos Vela with Los Angeles FC in 2019.
“He never ceases to amaze the world,” Miami head coach Cristian “Kily” González told reporters after the match, as reported by ESPN. “I mean, I honestly can’t believe that a guy like him, at 39 years old, is doing what he’s doing.”
González, who replaced former manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino last month, also expressed confidence that Messi could eventually hit the 1,000-goal plateau before concluding his playing career, ESPN reported.
Playoff positioning and next steps
Miami, which clinched a postseason spot earlier in the week, holds second place in the Eastern Conference standings behind Nashville, ESPN reported. The win capped a steady rebound for the Herons following a difficult stretch in September where the club managed just one victory in six outings, according to Football Today.
Atlanta United remains second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference table under Martino, leaving the club in danger of missing the postseason with few fixtures remaining, AFP reported.
Both teams return to the field on Saturday. Miami will travel north to face the New York Red Bulls, while Atlanta United is scheduled to host the Chicago Fire.
