In Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup Round of 32 match against Orlando City, Lionel Messi found the back of the net, extending his goal-scoring streak to three consecutive games. He recorded his second successive multi-goal performance, helping Inter Miami script a 3-1 win. The match was delayed by 95 minutes following heavy thunderstorms.
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Messi opened the scoring just seven minutes into the game, receiving a pass from Robert Taylor on his chest, dribbling near the edge of the six yard box, and expertly converting a shot under the crossbar. He added another goal in the 72nd minute, receiving a pass from Josef Martinez and flicking a right-footed shot inside the left post.
The win has taken Inter Miami to the Round of 16 of the tournament, where they will play against Dallas FC.
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During the match, Messi collided with Orlando’s Mauricio Pereyra, but he recovered and continued playing. He received a yellow card for a hard foul in the 21st minute. Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba made his debut for Inter Miami, coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute.
The game’s scheduled start time was 8 pm, but as mentioned, was delayed due to the thunderstorms. However, with the weather conditions unstable, Messi and his teammates appeared on the field for warm-ups before kick off. After the field was cleared of water puddles, they went for a second round of pre-game warm-ups.
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Messi has been in excellent form for Inter Miami since joining the MLS club, scoring five goals in three games, including the game-winning goal against Cruz Azul and two goals against Atlanta United in previous Leagues Cup matches.
