By Onoja Baba, Nigeria
Lionel Messi continued his stunning run of form on Saturday night, as Inter Miami cruised to a 4–1 victory over the New York Red Bulls at Chase Stadium.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Miami across all competitions and pushed their Major League Soccer (MLS) points tally to 21 from 10 matches.
Messi’s goal in the 67th minute was his 859th career strike.
It also marked his 63rd goal contribution in 53 appearances for the club.
The Argentine fired in a composed volley to seal the win after goals from Fafa Picault, Marcelo Weigandt, and Luis Suárez had already put Miami in firm control.
Picault opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a fine volley. Weigandt doubled the lead in the 33rd minute after a long VAR check, and Suárez added a third six minutes later.
The Red Bulls pulled one back in the 43rd minute when Mohammed Sofo headed in a corner, but it proved a brief interruption in Miami’s dominance.
After the break, Messi calmly slotted home to restore the three-goal cushion, putting the game beyond reach.
Head coach Javier Mascherano praised his players’ response after a tough stretch of matches.
“It was a physically demanding game, we needed it,” he said in the post-match press conference.
He added that, “We were clinical in the first half, which had been lacking. In the second half, we tried to control possession better. The win gives us a good feeling again.”
With just one loss this season, Inter Miami remain one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference, with Messi at the heart of their resurgence.
