Messi hits four as Inter Miami thrash Montréal to end winless run | OneFootball

Lionel Messi hit four as Inter Miami thrashed CF Montréal 7-1 to snap a five-match winless run.

As reported by interheron.com, interim coach Guillermo Hoyos was suspended and new head coach Kily González was unavailable while he obtains the required work permits.

The captain also set up Luis Suárez, while Casemiro and 18-year-old Alexander Shaw scored their first MLS goals. Inter Miami moved to 12-4-6, 42 points, staying second in the Eastern Conference and third in the Supporters' Shield, 10 points behind Nashville SC. Montréal, unbeaten in its previous four, slipped to 5-11-6 and 14th in the East.

Casemiro rose to head in a corner in the 20th minute, his first in the league, and Shaw struck from distance in the 89th. Messi's haul included two free-kicks.

Hoyos switched Casemiro to centre-back, allowing Yannick Bright, Rodrigo De Paul and Telasco Segovia to reassert control in midfield. The 4-3-3 featured Dayne St. Clair in goal, with Casemiro and Maxi Falcón at centre-back and Noah Allen and Ian Fray at wing-back. Bright, De Paul and Segovia formed the midfield, with Messi, Suárez and Germán Berterame in attack.

Messi now leads the Golden Boot race on 18, two ahead of Petar Musa, and his 10 assists are joint fourth. He is the only player with back-to-back MLS MVP awards and just the second to win it twice. On this showing he strengthened his case for a third straight.

The team earned an overall rating of 7.9 out of 10, with every player at 7.0 or higher and Messi top at 9.8.

They host Atlanta United on Saturday, 6-13-3 with 21 points and 13th in the East, managed by former Inter Miami boss Tata Martino.

Source: interheron.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”