Miami: Lionel Messi had two assists, including one in the final seconds of the match, to help lift Inter Miami over Atlas 2-1 in their Leagues Cup opener.
It was Messi’s first game since he and teammate Jordi Alba were suspended one match by Major League Soccer for skipping its All-Star game. He connected with Marcelo Weigandt for the winning score in the final minute of stoppage time.
“It’s a competition that we always do well in,” Messi said in Spanish during a post-match interview with Apple TV. “I think we did a great job against a great team.”
Messi also assisted on Telasco Segovia’s goal that opened scoring. He received a through ball from Sergio Busquets and sent it to Segovia for an easy finish in the 58th.
Rivaldo Lozano scored the equalizer for the Guadalajara club in the
80th minute before Weigandt’s goal in the 96th that had to be confirmed by VAR after he was originally ruled offside.
That meant five assists in July for Messi, who was named the Major League Soccer Player of the Month after netting eight goals and helping Miami go 4-1-1 in league play.
Both sides had their chances during a chippy first half that saw a brief heated exchange between Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano and Atlas coach Gonzalo Pineda after an Atlas player went down.