Inter Miami left no doubt in their debut against Atlanta United, claiming a resounding 4-0 victory on a night where Lionel Messi was once again decisive, and his partnership with Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba recalled his best days at Barcelona.
From the start, the home side imposed their rhythm: in the 39th minute, Messi, who had left the Argentina training camp to play, opened the scoring with a perfect left-footed shot into the top corner after an assist from Baltasar Rodríguez, following several previous attempts that had been thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper.
In the second half, Javier Mascherano’s team came out determined to finish the game. Barely into the second half, Jordi Alba extended the lead (2-0) with a superb finish after a through ball from Messi himself.
Sixteen minutes into the second half, it was Luis Suárez’s turn to score the third with a powerful shot from outside the box, unstoppable by the goalkeeper. Inter Miami dominated every aspect of the game, while Atlanta barely managed to get close to Rocco Ríos Novo’s goal.
The final minutes were a time for the stars to shine. Messi, who had already assisted and scored, sealed his brace in the 42nd minute after a perfect combination with Alba. The connection between the old Barcelona partners was once again decisive, unleashing euphoria among the Chase Stadium crowd.
In the final moments, the coach took advantage of the opportunity to make changes, giving minutes to young players like Santiago Morales and Ryan Sailor, while the team maintained its intensity until the final whistle.
With this rout, Inter Miami reaffirmed its status as a contender and displayed an increasingly solid performance across all lines, remaining in second place in the Eastern Conference with 62 points, behind the Philadelphia Union.
