Inter Miami was in a midseason slump just a week ago. Lionel Messi made sure it didn't last long.
Messi scored for the fifth time in three Major League Soccer matches to help Inter Miami rout the Columbus Crew 5-1 on Saturday night for its second straight win.
Messi played a role each of Miami's goals. He scored twice — in the 15th and 24th minutes — giving him 10 goals this season, which leads his team and is tied for third in MLS. He set up Tadeo Allende's goal in the 13th, Fafà Picault's in the 89th and was also involved in Luis Suarez's score in the 64th.
That makes it two straight matches that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has recorded at least two goals and an assist. His 16 goal contributions are the most in the league.
“I see him every game. We see the same thing," Miami coach Javier Mascherano said through an interpreter. "We try to help him as much as we can. ... Clearly he is the best player that has ever played this game. And we have to understand that when he is not brilliant, that’s because one of us is failing. That’s the reality.”
Miami was the more aggressive team early. The Herons had seven shots — four on goal — in the first 25 minutes against a Columbus team that does not give up many. The Crew entered Saturday ranked eighth in MLS with just 19 goals allowed.
Allende opened the scoring with a cross-body finish set up by Messi’s long ball over the top. A few minutes later, Messi took advantage of a poor decision by goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen and lofted the ball over despite the keeper getting a hand on it.
Messi scores twice, assists in Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal
On Messi’s second goal, Sergio Busquets set up his former Barcelona teammate for the second straight game, sending a long pass to a streaking Messi for an easy finish over Hagen.
It was an important win for Miami, which entered Saturday with just two wins in its past eight matches and was sixth in the Eastern Conference. Miami beat Montreal 4-2 on Wednesday, and Saturday’s win over Columbus put last year’s Supporters' Shield winner in a tie for third place with 29 points in their final match before the start of next month's Club World Cup.
“Winning this way gives us confidence,” Mascherano said. “It shows that we’re brave and calm and can play against anybody, especially in the MLS. The tournament is another story. The rivals are are different level.”
Miami will face Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium, the home stadium of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Before that, Messi will join the Argentina national team for World Cup qualifiers against Chile on June 5 and Colombia on June 10.
Saturday was the second match of the season between Columbus and Miami, winners of the last two League's Cup tournaments. Inter Miami also beat Columbus to win the Supporters' Shield in 2024.
They were the only remaining undefeated teams in MLS when they met in front of a record crowd of 60,614 fans to Huntington Bank Field on April 19. It was a single-game record for a Crew home match and the largest non-NFL event in stadium history. Miami won 1-0.
Columbus made it 3-1 when Dylan Chambost’s corner was headed home by Cesar Ruvalcaba against goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo, who replaced Oscar Ustari in the second half. Mascherano said Ustari was experiencing discomfort in his leg and the team didn't want to risk an injury.
Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi team up to launch a soccer club in Uruguay
Suarez restored Miami's three-goal lead with his second goal in as many matches. And Messi fed a through ball to Picault in the closing minutes, stamping one of Miami's most dominant wins of the MLS season.
Miami played without veteran left back Jordi Alba, who suffered a lower-body injury against Montreal on Wednesday.