Leagues Cup: Messi scores twice for Miami in first game outside Florida

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi scored twice, including a brilliant late equaliser, as Inter Miami advanced past FC Dallas to the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup on penalties after an enthralling 4-4 draw.

A trademark curling free-kick in the 85th minute, Messi's seventh goal in his fourth game for Miami, took the game to the shootout after Miami had trailed 4-2 with 10 minutes to go. Messi put Miami ahead in the sixth minute with a clinical side-foot finish from a Jordi Alba pull-back.

It was initially ruled out for offside but the decision was reversed after the referee, on review, ruled that Josef Martinez had not blocked the view of the goalkeeper. Then five minutes from the end Messi strode up and curled a free-kick from 20 yards superbly into the top corner to take it to penalties. Messi converted the first penalty in the shoot-out.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever