Lionel Messi scored twice to lead Inter Miami to a 2-1 win over Nashville SC on Saturday, extending his record-breaking streak of scoring multiple goals in five consecutive Major League Soccer games.
The victory also marked Miami’s fifth straight win and ended Nashville’s 15-game unbeaten run in the league.
Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a precise free kick from just outside the box that slipped through Nashville’s defensive wall and past goalkeeper Joe Willis into the corner of the net. Miami led 1-0 until Nashville equalized shortly after halftime when Hany Mukhtar headed in a perfect cross from Andy Nájar.
Just over 10 minutes later, Messi regained the lead for Miami after capitalizing on a mistake by Willis, who tried to clear the ball but passed it directly to Messi. Despite Willis’s effort to recover, Messi dribbled around him and scored the winning goal.
This marks Messi’s first time scoring multiple goals in five consecutive league matches since 2012, when he played for Barcelona — though Major League Soccer and LaLiga are very different competitions.
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano praised Messi’s ongoing excellence, calling him the leader and flagbearer for the team who inspires everyone to compete.
So far this season, Messi has netted 16 goals, with 10 of those and five assists coming in his last five games. Inter Miami currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference but holds three games in hand on the teams above them. Winning those matches could potentially move them to the top of the league standings.
Also Read:
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami pull off 3-goal rally to top LAFC and make CONCACAF Champions Cup semis
Lionel Messi fined for grabbing the neck of an opposition coach
