Lionel Messi extended his MLS-record scoring streak with two more goals, which made the difference in a 2-1 victory for host Inter Miami over Nashville SC on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Messi’s pair of scores helped Inter Miami (11-3-5, 38 points) snap a club- record 15-game unbeaten streak across all competitions for Nashville (12-5-5, 41 points), which lost for the first time since April 19 at Seattle.
Messi scored two or more goals for the fifth consecutive time in an MLS match, which is a league record.
Inter Miami improved to 4-0-1 in its last five matches with Nashville while also winning their fifth consecutive MLS match overall.
Miami has won three in a row since it was eliminated by Paris St.-Germain in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup on June 29.
Messi capitalized on a major mistake by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to strike for the eventual decisive goal in the 62nd minute Saturday.
Willis chested a ball and tried to clear it out of his zone but kicked it right in Messi’s direction. Messi intercepted it with his left foot, then worked the ball around Willis and fired it home to put Miami ahead for good.
The goal came 13 minutes after Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar tied the game at 1 with a perfectly timed header off a pinpoint cross from distance by Andy Najar.
It was Mukhtar’s 10th goal of the season. Patrick Yazbek also had an assist.
Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute on another spectacular free-kick score.
Messi fired a ball precisely through a gap in the wall set up by Nashville’s defenders and it found the mark just out of the reach of a diving Willis.
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami drive Club World Cup ratings
Messi’s 16 goals are tied for the most in the league with Nashville’s Sam Surridge, who was kept off the scoresheet on Saturday.
Messi has 23 goal contributions in MLS games this season and has 22 goals across all competitions.
Each side returns to action on Wednesday as Inter Miami will play at Cincinnati and Nashville will host Columbus.
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