Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami on a frustrating night for LAFC | OneFootball

Inter Miami needed to overturn a considerable deficit given how the first leg against LAFC went, but Lionel Messi proved once again that he is still competitive and key to Javier Mascheranno's team. In the second leg of the quarter-finals, Miami won 3-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Having won the first leg, Los Angeles FC needed just nine minutes to extend their lead from a corner kick, with Delgado taking advantage of his freedom on the edge of the box to shoot and find Long unmarked. In other words, a move in which Inter Miami repeated the defensive mistakes of the first game

Needing to overcome the deficit, Inter Miami began to occupy more of the attacking area and tried to apply pressure for the rest of the first half. It wasn't until the 35th minute that Inter got the equalizer thanks to a one-two between Messi and Suárez, with the Argentine finishing neatly to beat goalkeeper Lloris in a one-on-one.

Inter Miami CF v Toronto FC | Leonardo Fernandez/GettyImages

Both teams came back with a lot of intensity for the second half and the goalkeepers had to work well in the first few minutes after the break, but Inter Miami took control of the attacking actions again and went in search of the second goal. In the 61st minute, Messi took advantage of a leftover ball on the edge of the box and laid the ball off to Allen, who crossed for Redondo to finish and leave Lloris at a loss for a save.

Signs pointed to an even aggregate score at the end of regulation time, but Lionel Messi was once again ready to be decisive. In the 84th minute, defender Marlon slipped his hand on the ball in the box and the VAR called the referee, with the penalty being awarded after a review of the play. Messi struck the ball with great class into the right-hand corner and secured qualification.

Inter Miami continues to seek progress with Javier Mascheranno

Javier Mascheranno's side continued to seek to control possession (61%) and once again had offensive volume (21 shots), showing the need for adjustments in defensive positioning and in the accuracy of conclusions (9 shots on target). As a result, Inter Miami once again need to celebrate the presence of Lionel Messi in their squad.