Lionel Messi scored twice to help Inter Miami to a 4-1 win against host CF Montreal on Saturday.
Miami (9-3-5, 32 points) was playing its first MLS game in over a month due its participation in the Club World Cup. Miami was eliminated last week in a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
But Javier Mascherano’s side showed no ill effects of that chastening defeat as it won its third straight MLS game.
Messi was once again the star of the show to move onto 12 goals in 14 MLS appearances this season.
Prince Owusu scored the lone goal for Montreal (3-13-5, 14 points), which had won two of its previous three.
Owusu gave Montreal a 1-0 lead in the second minute. Messi missed on a pass attempt, and an uncovered Owusu collected the ball at the top of the box before putting a strike through goalkeeper Oscar Ustari’s legs and into the back of the net.
Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois got his hands up to deny the visitors off a corner in the 13th minute and two minutes later got his fingertips on a Jordi Alba chance to send it off the right post and out.
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In the 20th minute, Sirois came off his line to the penalty area and slid to deny Tadeo Allende off a quality opportunity, and in the 27th minute, Sirois came out to the top of the box to steal a chance from Telasco Segovia.
Miami finally broke through in the 33rd minute. Messi fed Allende outside the top right of the box, and Allende took a couple of strides before firing a dart into the net to tie the score 1-1.
Messi then put Miami ahead 2-1 in the 40th minute. Coming up the right side, the Argentine cut inside toward the middle of the box and curled a low shot in the bottom far corner.
Segovia made it 3-1 in the 60th minute when he fired a strike from outside the box that grazed the underside of the crossbar and landed in the cage.
Messi added his second of the match with a stunning solo goal two minutes later. He took the ball from near midfield to inside the box, twisting and turning past several Montreal defenders before firing a shot high into the net.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.
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