Messi double keeps Miami on top in MLS
The Peninsula
Fort Lauderdale, United States: Lionel Messi scored twice and created another for Sergio Busquets as Inter Miami beat Nashville 3 1 on Saturday to mai...
Fort Lauderdale, United States: Lionel Messi scored twice and created another for Sergio Busquets as Inter Miami beat Nashville 3-1 on Saturday to maintain top spot in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference.
Miami suffered an early setback when their defender Franco Negri deflected a corner from Daniel Lovitz into his own net in just the second minute of the game at Chase Stadium.
Gerardo Martino's team have now failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 11 games and it could have been worse when three minutes later Josh Bauer blasted a shot against the bar.
But Messi soon had Miami on level terms -- the Argentine set free by a clever flick from Diego Gomez saw a shot parried out by Nashville keeper Elliot Panicco, but after Luis Suarez directed the loose ball back to him Messi slotted home to make it 1-1 in the 11th minute.
Two minutes later, Messi took advantage of some sloppy play from Nashville but his low right-foot shot came out off the post.
