Lionel Messi scores a brace as Inter Miami enter Leagues Cup last 16 with 3-1 win over Orlando City

By India Today Sports Desk: Inter Miami star Lionel Messi continued to showcase his sublime form by scoring in his third consecutive game during a 3-1 victory over Orlando City on Wednesday. The win has propelled his Major League Soccer (MLS) team into the final 16 of the Leagues Cup.

The commencement of the match was delayed for 95 minutes due to a thunderstorm. However, Messi dominated the field as soon as the game began, scoring in the 7th minute. Starting his assault from the half line, Messi darted into the box to receive a sublime chip from Robert Taylor over several defenders. He masterfully chested the ball down and volleyed it home from the rim of the six-yard box.

Orlando swiftly retorted back 10 minutes with Uruguayan midfielder Cesar Araujo scoring off a corner kick to tie the game. However, three minutes into the second half, Miami reclaimed their lead courtesy of Josef Martinez’s successful penalty kick.

In the 72nd minute of the game, Taylor and Martinez set Messi up for another close-range volley during a counter-attack. Fully capitalising on this opportunity, the unmarked Argentine left no room for error and effortlessly outplayed Pedro Gallese, Orlando’s goalkeeper.

The goal marked Messi’s fifth in just three games following his successful campaign against Cruz Azul and Atlanta United in the group stage of the tournament. A final attempt by Araujo to pull one back for Orlando in the 9th-minute injury time was disallowed after a VAR revealed a case of offsides.

Following this win, Inter Miami are all set to take on FC Dallas who secured a 2-1 victory over the Mexican side, Mazatlan. While the victory over Orlando came out promising for Inter Miami, Messi’s performance and consistent scoring spree, in particular, have been the standout factors in their Leagues Cup campaign.