Lionel Messi scores twice, assists on another goal in Inter Miami’s win

FORT LAUDERDALE — Great things happen when Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets are on the field.

It’s certainly no surprise, but validity was added Tuesday night.

The two superstars started for the very first time in their Inter Miami careers, leading their new team to a 4-0 victory over Atlanta United. With the three points, Miami has won its group and advances to the Round of 32 of the Leagues Cup.

Messi and Busquets played just shy of 80 minutes each and their impact was monstrous.

Messi scored twice in the first 22 minutes, picked up a hockey assist just before halftime and then a legitimate assist at the start of the second half. Busquets’ night was more of a roller-coaster with a trio of nearly-costly turnovers in the first half, but he made up for it with plenty of intelligent passes and defensive plays.

The two of them connected on a perfectly-timed line-breaking pass in the eighth minute for Messi’s second goal in as many games. Busquets would’ve picked up an assist had Messi not hit the post on his first shot attempt. Then, Messi scored again by converting a cross in the 22nd minute.

Midfielder Robert Taylor scored Miami’s two other goals and assisted on Messi’s second goal. He, like Messi, has also scored three times in the past two games.

“Robert’s a guy that we always knew had that quality,” defender DeAndre Yedlin said after the match. “I guess (he) needed Messi to bring it out of him.”

Inter Miami noticeably played with lots of energy and confidence. Chemistry between Messi, Busquets and their new teammates was also much higher, even just a few days past Friday night when Messi made his Inter Miami debut. The spacing, too, was vastly improved, given the amount of defensive attention that Messi and Busquets draw.

“You have a guy like that and he’s going to attract two or three players,” Yedlin said. “So for me, it’s like I’m like a kid in a candy shop.”

Miami had to fend off a few Atlanta threats in the match’s opening minutes, including a long distance chip that nicked off the back post.

All it took though was a brilliant connection between the two former teammates who have reunited on Inter Miami to quickly get Miami on the board.

Busquets corralled the ball from Miami’s side of the center circle and lofted a well-paced pass for a streaking Messi. He was one-on-one with Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan, kissed his shot off the right post, but gathered his own rebound and fired it into the open net.

Then, Messi struck again 14 minutes later.

Messi led an attack up the middle until he played it out wide for Taylor. Messi continued his run to the middle of the box and Taylor centered the ball back to Messi for a tap-in goal.

Messi’s hockey assist came in the 44th minute when he serviced a bouncing ball to midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi at the top of Atlanta’s box. Cremaschi flicked it to Taylor, who fired a left-footed missile into the top of the net.

Atlanta United won a corner kick in the 53rd minute, but it ended disastrously for the visitors.

The service caromed back to midfield and landed on Messi’s foot with an ocean’s worth space and time. He attacked Atlanta’s defenders and Taylor joined him on the rush for a two-on-three. Taylor maintained his space to the left of Messi, who laid a pass on a platter for Taylor to smash it into the net, despite being outnumbered.

Taylor nearly scored a hat trick in the 71st minute off another counterattack from an Atlanta corner, but Guzan made a clinical diving save to force a corner kick.

Busquets’ night ended at the 72nd minute in a triple-substitution. Messi played a few minutes longer and received a loud standing ovation from the Inter Miami crowd.

A fan also invaded the pitch as Messi made his way to the bench, but he was quickly apprehended by stadium security.

“I don’t know that it seems normal to anybody yet,” Yedlin said.

Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender wasn’t tested much, but made a handful of saves to earn the clean sheet. His best one came late in the second half off a penalty kick when defender Christopher McVey was assessed a red card. Callender finished the night with six saves.

Inter Miami will have at least a week until its next match at DRV PNK Stadium, with the group stage wrapping up next Monday. They will face the winner of the South 2 group, which consists of Mexican club Santos Laguna, Orlando City and the Houston Dynamo.