'Very free' Lionel Messi stars on first Inter Miami start in win over Atlanta United, impresses head coach Tata Martino
/dnl.tntsports.co.uk/sd/img/placeholder/tnt_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 26/07/2023 at 13:42 GMT+1
Lionel Messi played a starring role on his first start for Inter Miami as he netted two goals in the first half and also grabbed an assist in a 4-0 victory over Atlanta United. Messi, who joined Miami as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, was hailed by head coach Tata Martino for the positive effect he has had on the team and being a "very free" player.
That is special! Mbappe creates something out of nothing
Video credit: TNT Sports
Lionel Messi scored twice and grabbed an assist on his first Inter Miami start in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United in the Leagues Cup.
Messi opened the scoring in the eighth minute when he took a pass from former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets, drove forward, hit the post and tapped in his own rebound.
Robert Taylor set up Messi, who was captaining the team, to make it 2-0 in the 22nd minute.
Taylor added a third before the break as Miami secured their first 3-0 half-time lead in club history.
It was 4-0 early in the second half when Messi teed up Taylor to score again.
Messi left to a standing ovation in the 77th minute, having helped Miami secure their place in the knockout stages of the Leagues Cup.
He has now scored three goals in two appearances since joining Miami and head coach Tata Martino praised Messi after his display against Atlanta.
“The impact he continues to have, and it’s just starting, when you see so many people and celebrities come to see him and the enthusiasm he has with his team-mates, it continues to translate to good performances,” he said.
“The important thing is the effect it continues to have on this team.
“The great change that Leo has had, having taken off a great weight that he had on his shoulders, he has done it with the Argentine national team in the last two years and that shows in everything: in his day-to-day life, in his statements, in his way of facing each of the games.
"He is a very free player, and undoubtedly for a player of such calibre, being free involves starting to see much more of these types of performances.”
Inter Miami had gone six games without a victory before Messi’s arrival.
“Everyone sees what he does,” said Taylor about Messi.
“He can keep the ball – he can do everything on the ball – he can keep it in tight spaces, he makes the right decisions 100 per cent of the time.
“Every time he has the ball, I’ll just try and get in behind, make a run for him, and most of the time he'll find one of our team-mates, for sure, making the run. So I think he brings so much quality into the team, so much.”
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
Share this article
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement