Inter Miami triumphs! Lionel Messi witnesses victory as Herons defeat spirited Hong Kong XI in pre-season friendly

Inter Miami, aiming to maintain fitness, benched star players Messi, Suarez, Busquets, and Alba for a friendly.

February 4, 2024

Finally Inter Miami With A Start — Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

In an effort to maintain the fitness of the Herons, they opted to keep their star-studded quartet of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba on the bench during a friendly match.

Consequently, they faced difficulties in finding their rhythm during the first half. However, Robert Taylor managed to break the deadlock with an exceptional strike from the edge of the box, bending the ball into the top corner in a manner reminiscent of Messi.

Just moments later, the XI from Hong Kong managed to equalize when Henri Anier, an Estonia international, controlled a cross, stumbled, but quickly recovered to score.

Hong Kong made significant changes during halftime, while Miami rediscovered their momentum in the second half. Lawson Sunderland gave them the lead shortly after the restart, capitalizing on Ryan Sailor’s precise cross, following a brilliant setup by Leonardo Campana.

Campana himself added a third goal, calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner from inside the box, before Alba and Busquets entered the game as substitutes. Inter sealed the victory late on, with Ryan Sailor finding the net.

Campana took on the role of chief creator in Messi’s absence and contributed a beautiful pre-assist before Sunderland’s goal, also scoring one himself. The potential partnership between him and Messi appears promising.

The Hong Kong invitational team cannot be faulted as Inter Miami was anticipated to win. Consequently, Martino might have been displeased with the first-half performance, particularly by the backup players who lacked the presence of Alba, Busquets, Suarez, and Messi. As a result, the reserves, often observing from the bench, may find it challenging to secure MLS minutes based on their performance in this match.

Inter Miami continues their preparation for the upcoming season with a match against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday, followed by a game against Messi’s former club, Newell’s Old Boys, on Friday, February 16.

Taylor with the precision to find the back of the net 🤯 #HKGvsInterMiamiCF I 0-1 pic.twitter.com/cR903sY4yz

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) February 4, 2024

Sunderland finishes from inside the box to put us in the lead👏#HKGvsInterMiamiCF I 1-2 pic.twitter.com/EjhEdHLv2x

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) February 4, 2024