In the Round of 16 Leagues Cup match between Inter Miami CF and Dallas FC, Lionel Messi once again showcased his incredible skills and proved why he is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. Playing only his fourth game with Inter Miami, Messi’s impact was already being felt.
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How the match went between Inter Miami CF and Dallas FC?
In the sixth minute of the game, Miami launched an attacking move, with Robert Taylor setting up Jordi Alba down the left side of the box. Alba, who had a longstanding connection with Messi from their time together at Barcelona, found Messi with a precise pass at the edge of the box. Messi, with his trademark brilliance, used a stunning left-footed first touch to fire a powerful shot past Dallas’ goalkeeper, Maarten Paes, for a goal. It was a moment of Messi Magic, reminiscent of their successful partnership at Barcelona, and it gave Inter Miami a promising start.
Despite Messi’s early goal, Miami found themselves trailing 2-1 at halftime and later fell behind by two goals in the second half. However, the match took a dramatic turn as an own goal from Dallas cut their lead to 4-3 in the dying moments of the game. With the opportunity to level the score, Messi stepped up to take a free kick, a situation where he has a reputation for delivering the unexpected.
As the stadium held its breath, Messi took the free kick with precision and power, unleashing a fierce strike that threatened to find the back of the net. Unfortunately, the outcome of that particular free kick was not mentioned in the provided excerpt. Nonetheless, it’s evident that Messi’s presence and influence on the pitch were crucial in helping Inter Miami make an impressive comeback, forcing the match to be decided by a penalty shootout.
The combination of Messi and Alba, familiar from their time at Barcelona, once again proved to be potent, as they combined effectively to create scoring opportunities for Inter Miami. For fans of Major League Soccer (MLS), witnessing this legendary duo in action is undoubtedly a thrilling experience.
The 2022 World Cup winner’s moment of magic forced a penalty shootout with a spot in the final eight on the line.
And Messi once again stepped up, calmly slotting home his penalty, while 18-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi converted his spot-kick to seal a 5-3 victory for Inter Miami.