Lionel Messi scores twice as Inter Miami beat Nashville in MLS

The Argentinian superstar extends his multigoal grounds tally with a brace against Nashville astatine Chase Stadium.

Lionel Messi has extended his MLS-record scoring streak with 2 much goals, which made the quality successful a 2-1 triumph for hosts Inter Miami implicit Nashville SC successful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The 38-year-old’s brace connected Saturday helped Inter Miami (11-3-5, 38 points) drawback a club-record 15-game unbeaten streak crossed each competitions for Nashville (12-5-5, 41 points), which mislaid for the archetypal clip since April 19 astatine Seattle.

Messi scored 2 oregon much goals for the 5th consecutive clip successful an MLS match, which is simply a league record.

Inter Miami improved to 4-0-1 successful its past 5 matches with Nashville portion besides winning their 5th consecutive MLS lucifer overall. Miami has won 3 successful a enactment since it was eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain successful the circular of 16 astatine the FIFA Club World Cup connected June 29.

Messi capitalised connected a large mistake by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to onslaught for what turned retired to beryllium the match-winning extremity successful the 62nd minute. Willis chested a shot and tried to wide it retired of his portion but kicked it close successful Messi’s direction.

Messi intercepted it with his near foot, past worked the shot astir Willis and fired it location to enactment Miami up for good.

The extremity came 13 minutes aft Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar tied the crippled astatine 1-1 with a perfectly timed header disconnected a pinpoint transverse from region by Andy Najar. It was Mukhtar’s 10th extremity of the season. Patrick Yazbek besides had an assist.

Messi’s archetypal extremity came successful the 17th infinitesimal connected different spectacular free-kick score. Messi fired a shot precisely done a spread successful the partition acceptable up by Nashville’s defenders, and it recovered the people conscionable retired of the scope of a diving Willis.

Messi with his 16 goals this play is tied for the astir successful the league with Nashville’s Sam Surridge, who was kept disconnected the scoresheet connected Saturday. Messi has 23 extremity contributions successful MLS games this play and has 22 goals crossed each competitions.

Each broadside returns to enactment connected Wednesday arsenic Inter Miami volition play astatine Cincinnati and Nashville volition big Columbus.

Messi scores his team’s match-winning 2nd extremity against Nashville successful the 62nd infinitesimal [Chandan Khanna/AFP]