Lionel Messi delivered a masterclass on Saturday, scoring four goals to propel Inter Miami to a resounding 7-1 victory over Montreal. The win serves as a crucial turnaround for the reigning MLS Cup champions, who had struggled through a five-game winless streak, losing four of their previous five matches since the conclusion of the World Cup.
The scoring opened in the 20th minute at Nu Stadium when Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, a post-World Cup arrival, headed home his first goal for the club. Montreal briefly leveled the score in the 37th minute through German midfielder Fabian Herbers, whose low strike from the edge of the box found the bottom corner.
Miami reclaimed the lead just three minutes later when a curling free-kick from Messi caught Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier off guard. Shortly after the halftime interval, the 39-year-old Argentine superstar extended the advantage, weaving through a crowd of defenders before slotting a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
The momentum continued as Messi orchestrated the fourth goal, delivering a precise pass to Luis Suarez, who converted to further demoralize the visitors. Messi then completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute, latching onto a Rodrigo De Paul delivery to delicately chip the ball over the advancing Gillier, extending the lead to 5-1.
The scoring spree did not end there, as teenage substitute Alex Shaw rifled a low shot from outside the area to make it 6-1 in the 89th minute. In the final moments of stoppage time, Messi added his fourth goal of the night with a trademark free-kick from the edge of the box.
The emphatic result leaves Inter Miami in second place in the Eastern Conference, trailing league leaders Nashville by seven points. Montreal remains in a precarious position, sitting second from the bottom of the conference standings. The report also notes that and went 2-1 up when a low curling free-kick from Messi somehow bamboozled Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier in the 40th minute, but Miami did not have to wait long to regain the lead. The report also notes that messi secured his hat-trick on 83 minutes when he latched on to a Rodrigo De Paul pass in the 83rd minute and delicately dinked over the advancing Gillier to make it 5-1.
