Inter Miami maintained their winning run in MLS on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union, with Lionel Messi back in the matchday squad.
The Argentine international last kicked a ball for the Herons at the start of June with the Copa America and an injury in the final kept Messi out of Inter Miami action up until this week, where the attacker marked his return in remarkable fashion.
Two goals and an assist secured a 3-1 win for Inter Miami as Messi was hailed by MLS expert Andrew Wiebe after the result at Chase Stadium, with the Herons looking in good form to go all the way for the Supporters’ Shield.
And pundit Matt Doyle has now shared what Inter Miami could now do with Messi back fit.
Messi’s return means Inter Miami can now win without playing well
Speaking on Extratime, the MLS expert predicted that Inter Miami don’t need to play pretty to no longer win games with Messi now back in the squad, with the forward a player who can transform a game in a single moment.
Inter Miami were not at their best against the Union yet were able to secure a comfortable win thanks to moments of magic from Messi, and the Herons could now use this superpower to secure some big wins between now and the end of the season.
Doyle said on Messi’s comeback: “The second one was just a classic Messi goal where he releases the pass and then somehow nobody tracks him. And he gets in that spot between the penalty spot and the 18-yard line and first-time finishes with that left foot. He’s scored that goal 500 times in his career.
“It’s like Miami don’t need to play well for 90 minutes [to win games], they don’t even need to play well for 30 minutes, and honestly, in this game, they didn’t, they just need to play well for 10, 15 minutes and they put two [goals] on the board, and it’s going to get easier now that this guy is back in the lineup.”
Messi’s world-class qualities will win the Herons crucial points
Inter Miami have successfully phased out of being just ‘The Messi Team’ after a sensational summer of form without the Argentine international, with the Herons now having one hand on the Supporters’ Shield trophy.
Yet with Messi back, the 37-year-old attacker alone could be key in Inter Miami securing the points needed to win a domestic double in record-breaking fashion, with the Florida franchise on for numerous MLS records.
If Messi can stay fit, there’s a real chance that Inter Miami can become one of the greatest MLS sides of all time if they can secure the wins needed to achieve immortality, and the club captain will want to do just that.