August 17, (THEWILL) — Lionel Messi returned from injury to inspire Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer on Saturday night.
The match at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale saw the Argentine forward come off the bench at half-time before scoring and assisting late on to secure the win.
The performance came after Messi had missed two games with a right hamstring issue.
Inter Miami took the lead shortly before the interval when Jordi Alba surged forward from defence and finished past John McCarthy.
The Galaxy responded in the second half through Joseph Paintsil, who weaved past two markers before beating goalkeeper Oscar Ustari at the near post.
The equaliser silenced the home crowd and put pressure back on Miami, who struggled to find fluency for much of the game.
The turning point arrived in the 84th minute when Messi dribbled through the visiting defence and slotted into the bottom corner with his left foot.
Five minutes later, he turned provider by setting up Luis Suárez, who ended a run of 12 matches without a goal from open play. That strike sealed the contest and gave Miami a timely boost in their push for the Supporters’ Shield.
Messi’s goal was his 19th in the league this season, moving him to the top of the MLS Golden Boot standings.
He also registered his 10th assist of the campaign, underlining his continued influence despite recent fitness concerns.
Suárez’s finish, meanwhile, lifted a weight off the veteran striker after weeks of frustration in front of goal.
The win places Miami fifth in the Eastern Conference with three games in hand and seven points behind leaders Philadelphia Union.
It also marked a strong response after their heavy 4-1 defeat to Orlando City earlier in the week. Manager Javier Mascherano will be relieved to have his captain available again as the Herons prepare for their Leagues Cup tie against Tigres on Thursday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
