"Inter Miami stronger without Messi", "Messi dropped a stinker" - Fans point fingers at Lionel Messi as the Herons draw at Atlanta United
A section of Inter Miami fans have blamed Lionel Messi on X after the Argentine ace struggled to make an impact in their 2-2 draw against Atlanta United. The two sides locked horns in their MLS clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday, September 18.
Despite missing 12 games across all competitions for Inter Miami this season due to injury, Lionel Messi has had a prolific campaign. The 37-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided 12 assists in 16 appearances in total.
However, Tata Martino opted to rest Messi, naming him on the bench for the Atlanta United fixture. David Ruiz gave the visitors the lead in the 29th minute with a calm finish but Saba Lobzhanidze's 56th-minute header made it 1-1. Leonardo Campana restored the Herons' lead from a free-kick three minutes later.
Martino subbed Lionel Messi on in the 61st minute as they looked to seal all three points. Unfortunately, Aleksei Miranchuk netted a screamer in the 84th minute to earn Atlanta a point. Messi did have a shot on target from two attempts but didn't offer much else in attack.
One fan believes the Herons are a better side without Messi:
"They play every ball to Messi. So annoying. Not effective and it kills team spirit. Boring. Predictable. Inter Miami stronger without Messi."
Another fan tweeted:
"Messi dropped a stinker."
Other fans chimed in as well:
"They were winning back to back games before that guy came back," one fan commented.
"Crazy how they were winning WITHOUT Messi," another added.
"Messi is the reason why Inter Miami will never win the MLS," one fan boldly predicted.
"As soon as Messi came on they lost," one fan tweeted.
"Messi ruined everything," another posted.
How did Lionel Messi's Inter Miami fare in their 2-2 draw against Atlanta United?
Inter Miami's five-game winning streak ended abruptly when Atlanta United held them to a 2-2 draw. Despite this, they retain their spot at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference with 63 points from 29 games, eight more than second-placed Cincinnati.
The Herons had more possession with 52 percent of the ball. They also completed 433 passes with an accuracy of 85 percent. This exceeded the hosts' control as Atlanta had 48 percent possession, completing 391 passes with an accuracy of 85 percent.
Both teams had numerous chances to put the game to bed with the Herons landing 12 shots in total with seven being on target, with an xG of 1.78. Meanwhile, the hosts garnered 17 shots in total with five being on target - but were guilty of missing two big chances (xG of 1.64).