Lionel Messi put on a show at the home of the NFL’s back-to-back Super Bowl champions on Saturday night, although there was a blank space in the luxury box Taylor Swift has come to frequent. But to keep the Swifties interested: spot the seven song titles subtly hidden in this segment.
The former Barcelona icon provided a trade-mark defence-splitting pass to assist Diego Gomez’s equaliser in the 18th minute, after Erik Thommy had given the home side an early lead in front of a 72,000 sell-out crowd.. Collecting the ball 25 yards from goal, he took one electric touch to set himself before rifling into the top corner.
A hamstring injury has caused Messi to miss four of Miami’s nine league fixtures so far this term, but in the five he has been available for, he has continued to provide all-time-great production. He is now only the fourth player in MLS history to record 10 goal contributions in his first five games of a season.
It was the 26-year-old’s third goal of his debut MLS campaign. And two minutes later, he racked up his third assist, again racing clear down the right flank before cutely cutting back for Diego Fegundez to score and fire LA to the top of the West.