Lionel Messi continues Inter Miami's unbeaten start: “He is incredible”

If the other 28 teams in MLS have not seen the Sunday evening -football presented by Continental Tire, we have no choice but to inform them that Lionel Andrés Messi again at Inter Miami Cf.

The Argentine legend returned to the starting line-up for the first time since February 25th and some, some, some achieved the equalization of a turnover that he had made when the heron collected from an early deficit against Atlanta United from a loud amount of 42,843 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“Leo's is a goal that only he can do,” said Herons coach Javier Mascherano in the Spanish postgame. “He is the best player in history. You can't say anything else. A player who has the ability to achieve the most beautiful goals they will see. “

The victory extends Miami's unbeaten start to eight games in the entire league and Concacaf Champions Cup game and seems to signal Messi's return to shape after publishing three games for what was vague as “load management”.

Atlutd was the stronger side from the gates and rose after 11 minutes after the third goal of the season by Emmanuel Latte Lath after eleven minutes. But the visitors adapted and gathered. Messi stated the tone by strüsing Bartosz Slisz to the top of Atlanta's penalty box and only a few minutes later Brad Guzan for his fourth goal of 2025 in all competitions.

If this was an acid test for the outdated offseason overhaul of Atlanta, Messi & Friends confirmed to Deila and his group that the project has not yet been fully baked.

“It was a balanced game when she saw expected goals and touch within the 16 options, but her chances consisted of clean opportunities,” complained Atlanta coach Ronny Deila. “Of course you talk about one of the best players in the world, maybe still – he is incredible.

“The first goal, we lose the ball in a very bad situation, the best player in the world, and you have a problem.”

This Pieft, changing moment, was an amazing bite of a player by a player who has so often been described as uninterested in his defense tasks over the years. Messi would complete the match with five miles covered and 7/11 duels, in addition to its 70 -person ball. Was there a little more in his tank to achieve a certain degree of revenge for the historical surprise of the five stripes in Miami in the playoffs of the Audi MLS Cup of last year?

Mascherano pumped the brakes, but maybe not entirely convincing.

“Well, no revenge, no reservoir, no resentment match,” said the boss in the first year and called a “completely different” context for a younger, perhaps hungry imcf this year. “They get new opportunities in football. So what happened has happened and you can't go back.

“This is a long tournament and we are not nearly at the end. I am one of these people who, just because we have started, don't believe that we are finished, ”Mascherano remarked with regard to the strong start of his team and added her upcoming bye weekend well during the FIFA-International window, so that some of his group times for peace and recovery. “We have to be on our guard and we cannot relax. And of course we have to enjoy the moment, but it's just the moment. “

In fact, the conversation could be different if Atlanta had made a little fewer mistakes at night.

Nobody would be surprised if Messi was knocked back. What may be almost as important in the long run was the timing and the source of Miami's second goal: Fafà Picault, who came from the bank to bring a winner home at the last minute after missing a thigh injury for a few weeks.

The sequence occurred so quickly that even the MLS season pass almost missed them. Jordi Alba got too much space along the left touchline after Miami had played a short kick, so that the Spaniard could crumble a loop cross to the long post. Picault, all 5-foot 8 of him, nodded an undisputed header that slapped his hands past Guzan in the last second and maybe thought his teammate Derrick Williams would delete the ball and go into the net.

“I think the bad part is how we can admit this last goal. It's too easy because they [Miami] Have three or four people in the box and I think you are satisfied with this draw and then you get something out of nowhere. It's hard to swallow, ”said Deila.

“We play against a team that has not lost this year and had the most points in the league. So I don't see that it is a terrifying difference between us. That is the good. But in the end we gave you too many simple chances. “

Atlantas Frustration reflected Miami's enthusiasm. It is not the first time that an IMCF opponent lets the Rosanegra slip over his self-inflicted wounds, and it will most likely not be the last.

“The wish,” Picault told MLS Season Pass Andrew Wiebe when he was asked when he was asked what makes this Miami -Squad something special.

“We have a lot of heart. I think you have big players, but you are here for the grind, and you can see it in small games and about such games. And then you have a young group that is motivated and everyone wants to show themselves. And I think more than anything, we are very united. We all have the same goal and that is to be won, and I think that's important. “