Messi is Back

By Alonso Contreras

Inter Miami CF cruised to a thrilling 4-2 victory over CF Montréal in front of a packed home crowd at Chase Stadium, spearheaded by another vintage Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez masterclass.

Scoring Summary:

• 27' – Inter Miami CF – Lionel Messi (Assist: Sergio Busquets) – 1-0

• 68' – Inter Miami CF – Luis Suárez (Assist: Lionel Messi) – 2-0

• 71' – Inter Miami CF – Luis Suárez – 3-0

• 74' – CF Montréal – Dante Sealy (Assist: Caden Clark, 2nd: Victor Loturi) – 3-1

• 87' – Inter Miami CF – Lionel Messi (Assist: Luis Suárez) – 4-1

• 90+2' – CF Montréal – Victor Loturi (Assist: Fernando Álvarez, 2nd: Dante Sealy) – 4-2

First Half:

Miami began the game with strong intent, with early efforts from Suárez and Messi narrowly missing the target. CF Montréal responded with a golden opportunity in the 31st minute as Giacomo Vrioni squandered a clear chance, skying a shot from close range with an xG of 0.51.

That miss proved costly just minutes later when Messi broke the deadlock in the 27th minute. Picking up a pass from Sergio Busquets, the Argentine maestro fired a low, curling strike from just outside the box to the bottom-left corner – a goal of sheer precision (xG 6%).

Despite a few dangerous moments for Montréal, especially from Dante Sealy and Nathan-Dylan Saliba, Miami held firm to take a 1-0 lead into the break.

Second Half:

Inter Miami shifted gears after halftime. In the 68th minute, Luis Suárez doubled the lead, converting a Messi pass with a clinical low drive (xG 16%). Just three minutes later, he struck again, smashing a close-range shot into the net to make it 3-0 (xG 43%).

Montréal, however, refused to fold. In the 74th minute, Dante Sealy finished off a flowing move with a tidy low shot to pull one back for the visitors (xG 9%).

Miami responded with lethal efficiency. In the 87th minute, Messi and Suárez combined once more, with the Uruguayan sliding a clever pass to Messi, who unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner (xG 39%). It was the pair’s second goal combination of the night and Miami’s fourth.

Still, Montréal showed character late on. In stoppage time, after a flurry of activity in the box, Victor Loturi headed home from a layered assist sequence involving Fernando Álvarez and Dante Sealy, making it 4-2.

Key Players:

• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF) – 2 goals, 1 assist: A dazzling display from the GOAT. Instrumental in everything Miami created.

• Luis Suárez (Inter Miami CF) – 2 goals, 1 assist: Showed why he remains a world-class poacher with superb positioning and finishing.

• Dante Sealy (CF Montréal) – 1 goal, 1 assist: Montréal’s brightest attacker, involved in both goals and consistently dangerous.

• Victor Loturi (CF Montréal) – 1 goal, 1 secondary assist, numerous fouls won: Covered vast ground and capped a strong showing with a deserved goal.

Tactical Notes:

• Miami's Attack: Messi and Suárez combined seamlessly, supported by midfield metronomes Busquets and Redondo. Their front line exploited central channels with ruthless efficiency.

• Montréal’s Struggles: Montréal's backline struggled to contain Messi’s movement and Suárez’s presence in the box. Substitutions improved their attacking thrust, but it was too little, too late.

• Midfield Battles: A physical midfield duel saw Loturi and Piette hold their own against Inter Miami’s veterans, drawing multiple fouls and creating launching pads for counters.

Statistical Highlights:

• xG (Expected Goals):

  • Inter Miami: 2.49

  • CF Montréal: 1.81

• Shots on Target:

  • Inter Miami: 6

  • CF Montréal: 5

• Possession:

  • Inter Miami: 55%

  • CF Montréal: 45%

• Key Passes:

  • Lionel Messi: 4

  • Dante Sealy: 3

Final Thoughts:

While CF Montréal showed flashes of attacking quality and spirit—particularly through Dante Sealy and Victor Loturi—Inter Miami’s firepower was simply too much to handle. With Messi and Suárez in sensational form, the Herons continue to assert themselves as one of the most formidable attacking teams in MLS.