- Messi assists, scores, then injured
- Martino: Messi out as precaution
- Inter Miami advances in CONCACAF
Lionel Messi assisted on a goal and conceded an assist prior to departing the pitch with a leg injury as Inter Miami defeated Nashville 3-1 in the round-of-16 second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Luis Suarez, a former Barcelona colleague that Messi assisted in the eighth minute, scored the game-opening goal. Wednesday night, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner gave Inter Miami an early 2-0 advantage with a goal in the first half.
Messi was substituted in the 50th minute, and coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino later disclosed that the Argentine great was removed as a precaution due to a moderate leg injury that began to cause him discomfort during the game.
“His right posterior is overloaded,” Martino stated via a translator. “We attempted to assist him in progressing further [in the game], but his discomfort prevented us from doing so, so we decided he should exit the game.
Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Montreal was the only contest Messi has missed this season due to rest.
Messi will undoubtedly miss Saturday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) match against DC United, according to Martino.
“I have no desire to take the chance,” Martino declared.
On Wednesday, Robert Taylor entered the game in lieu of Lionel Messi and scored in the 63rd minute to give Inter Miami a 3-0 lead.
Inter Miami advanced to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup with the victory and a 5-3 aggregate goals advantage in the series of total goals.
“No one else is capable of doing what he can”
Messi imbued the game with an immediate influence.
After a penalty committed by Anibal Godoy of Nashville just four minutes into the match, he was awarded a free kick; however, his attempt was blocked. A few minutes later, the 36-year-old capitalised on the situation by fitting a pass to a streaking Suarez, who executed the ball into the lower right corner of the net, utilising his exceptional vision.
After receiving a pass from Diego Gomez, Messi scored from within the penalty area as his name began to be chanted by the crowd. Taylor subsequently scored via a header assisted by Suarez.
“Don’t miss out! Grab your free shares of Webull UK today!”
“In the first fifteen minutes, Lionel Messi was exceptionally, exceptionally sharp,” Nashville head coach Gary Smith remarked following the match. After that, he was questioned regarding his feelings when he observed Messi limp off the pitch early in the second half.
“Initially, thankfully,” Smith remarked in jest. “His impact on the rest of the group is enormous. Although they possess other exceptional athletes, none of them are capable of matching his performance. … “I was genuinely relieved to see him go; I honestly believed their performance had declined, and it served as a small motivation for us.”
At present, Inter Miami is in the midst of a hectic month with seven matches, four of which have transpired within the past ten days. On March 22 and 26, Messi is anticipated to participate with the Argentine national team in two Copa America warm-up matches.
