Video: Messi scores hat trick and adds assist as Inter Miami win 5-3 over Cincinnati

With Inter Miami looking to move closer to the top of the conference, the road match against Cincinnati was a good test. As has happened in most matches, Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 23rd minute.

The match had started well for Inter Miami, with a link-up between Messi and Berterame that ended in a goal from the left-footed star, but it was ruled out for offside. However, he did not miss the next chance.

Preferring to combine down the left side, Inter Miami moved up the field and created danger, but their goal came from a mistake by Miazga. A through ball by Rodrigo de Paul was slightly too long, and the defender tried to clear it, but the deflection bounced off Messi’s right leg and into the net.

Cincinnati came back through a Kevin Denkey penalty late in the first half, before Pavel Bucha made it 2-1 early in the second. However, Inter Miami responded quickly with a move down the right that ended in a de Paul assist for Messi, who only had to steer the ball in for the equalizer.

The celebration did not last long as Evander restored the lead for the home side. However, there was still more from the Argentine, as he assisted Mateo Silvetti for the 3-3 equalizer.

Quickly after, goalkeeper Roman Celentano dropped the ball following a collision with Andrei Chirila, allowing Germán Berterame to score Inter Miami’s 4-3 near the end. To cap it all off, Messi completed his hat trick with a right-footed finish from the penalty spot after a good pass from Silvetti.