Messi leads – Lionel Messi powered Inter Miami with two goals and an assist as Berterame’s 84th-minute winner sealed a 5-3 road victory over Cincinnati.
Lionel Messi turned another big night into a road statement, scoring twice and adding a decisive assist as Inter Miami staged a wild comeback to beat Cincinnati 5-3 on Wednesday.
The Argentine superstar’s impact was immediate.. He broke the deadlock in the 24th minute. deflecting a shot that bounced off Matt Miazga near the Cincinnati goal to put Miami ahead 1-0.. Just before halftime. Cincinnati responded through Kevin Denkey. who converted a penalty kick in the 41st minute to level the score at 1-1.
After the break, the match swung quickly.. Pavel Bucha gave Cincinnati the lead in the 49th minute, only for Messi to restore parity six minutes later.. The goal came from a cutback. with Messi finishing after receiving the pass from Luis Suárez. making it 2-2 and reinforcing Miami’s ability to answer immediately.
Cincinnati then reclaimed control at 3-2 when Evander fired a right-footed strike in the 64th minute from just outside the box.. But Miami’s momentum wasn’t finished.. Mateo Silvetti. introduced as a substitute. made it 3-3 in the 79th minute. leveling the game again and setting the stage for the late turning point.
The winner arrived in the 84th minute as German Berterame scored the go-ahead goal.. Miami’s rally was powered by more than just star quality. with the sequence of events at the end highlighting the way pressure can force mistakes.. After Silvetti’s equalizer. Miami went in front off a set piece. when Andrei Chirila collided with goalkeeper Roman Celentano. allowing Berterame to slot the ball into an open net.
Messi remained central even as the drama intensified.. He looked to have completed a hat trick in the 89th minute when his shot struck the post and deflected off Celentano.. The goal was later corrected to an own goal shortly afterward. meaning Messi’s would-be 61st hat trick in all competitions did not officially stand that way.
The victory extended Inter Miami’s road winning streak to seven matches. a run that underlined the team’s resilience in hostile territory.. It also ended a notable Cincinnati trend: it was the first time in 64 matches since Pat Noonan became coach in 2023 that the team lost after leading for more than 75 minutes.
Beyond the goals, Messi’s season continues to look like a statistical outlier.. This was the third time this season that he recorded at least three goal contributions in a single match. and he sits second in the league with 12 goals.. In his regular-season career totals at the time of the report, Messi reached 61 goals and 42 assists in 65 matches.
Cincinnati’s scoring came through Denkey. Bucha. and Evander. but the final score reflected how quickly the balance shifted once Miami found answers at multiple stages.. Inter Miami also held a 16-10 edge in shots. a reminder that even in a game that produced seven goals and constant swings. the visitors were still able to create enough quality chances to dictate the finish.
Lionel Messi Inter Miami Cincinnati MLS Berterame road win streak
5-3 is wild, Messi really does everything huh.
Wait so Cincinnati was up 3-2 and then Messi scored again and it turned into 5-3? I swear these teams just give up at the end. Also Berterame sounds like he should’ve been on the Celtics??
I didn’t see the game but if Messi “deflected” a shot off Miazga that means it wasn’t really Messi’s goal right? Like the keeper should’ve saved it anyway. But then it’s 5-3 so I guess whatever, chaos wins.
That collision with the goalie and then open net… sounds like refs let it get too physical. And the hat trick thing got cut off in the article, so now I’m confused—did he actually get a third or not? Inter Miami always does these late comebacks like it’s scripted.