Lionel Messi continued his dominant form in Major League Soccer, scoring twice and assisting three times as Inter Miami secured a commanding 5-1 victory over Columbus Crew on Saturday night.

The Argentine superstar netted in the 15th and 24th minutes, increasing his tally to 10 goals this season, the highest for his team and tying him for third in the league standings. 

His contributions didn’t stop there—he assisted Tadeo Allende’s opener in the 13th minute, played a role in Luis Suarez’s strike in the 64th, and set up Fafà Picault’s late goal in the 89th minute.

Messi has now recorded two goals and an assist in consecutive matches, accumulating 15 goal involvements, the most in MLS this season.

Miami asserted its dominance early, taking seven shots—including four on target—within the first 25 minutes against a well-organized Columbus defense that had conceded just 19 goals before Saturday’s match.

Allende’s opener came from Messi’s perfectly placed long ball, allowing him to fire a low shot past goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen. Moments later, Messi capitalized on a poor decision by Hagen, lofting the ball over him despite an attempted save. 

His second goal was courtesy of Sergio Busquets, who delivered a precise long pass, continuing their seamless chemistry from Barcelona days.

The victory was crucial for Miami, which had won only two of its previous eight matches and sat sixth in the Eastern Conference before the game. 

After defeating Montreal 4-2 on Wednesday, Miami’s latest triumph pushed last year’s Supporters’ Shield winner to third place with 29 points, right before the upcoming Club World Cup.

Miami will now turn its focus to Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium, while Messi will temporarily shift his attention to Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia before rejoining the club.

Source: Outlook

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