New York, Sept 25 (HS): Inter Miami cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory over New York City FC at Citi Field Stadium on Thursday (IST), with Lionel Messi once again at the heart of the action. The Argentine superstar struck twice, provided an assist, and orchestrated Miami’s dominant performance that sealed their place in the MLS playoffs.

Messi stamped his authority from the very outset. In the 43rd minute, he sliced open the defense with a brilliant through ball to Baltazar Rodríguez, who calmly slotted home to give Miami a 1-0 lead at half-time.The second half belonged almost entirely to Messi.

In the 74th minute, he latched onto a Sergio Busquets pass and cheekily chipped the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to double Miami’s advantage. Twelve minutes later, he dazzled again by outmaneuvering defenders before drilling a precise low shot into the bottom-left corner for his second goal of the night, extending the lead to 3-0.Luis Suárez capped the emphatic win in the 83rd minute, converting a penalty with customary composure to make it 4-0.

The result lifted Inter Miami to third place in the Eastern Conference standings with 55 points, ensuring their qualification for the postseason. The Messi-Busquets-Suárez combination once again evoked flashes of their Barcelona prime, sending a strong warning to rivals ahead of the MLS playoffs.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar