Inter Miami lost their first official match this season.

On the morning of March 11, in round 4 of MLS 2024, Inter Miami hosted Montreal at home at Chase Stadium in the absence of number one superstar Messi. The reigning World Golden Ball had health problems after the match with Nashville (2-2 draw) in the CONCACAF Champions League in midweek.

Coach Gerardo Martino decided not to add Leo’s name to the registration list for the match against Montreal, to ensure the player fully recovers for the return match against Nashville on March 14.

Inter Miami’s media team confirmed after the match that Messi did not have any major health problems, and was allowed to rest by the coach before Montreal.

Without the services of its brightest star, Inter Miami faces difficulties even though it is rated much higher than Montreal. The team from Canada opened the scoring early in the 13th minute thanks to Alvarez. Inter Miami’s defense continues to reveal holes in defense, especially in the position of goalkeeper Drake Callender.

Inter Miami played at home, but they could not overwhelm their opponents. During the entire match, Montreal launched 12 shots toward Miami’s goal (4 were on target). Three of them were concretized by the away team with goals.

On the day Messi was not on the registration list, Luis Suarez was also placed on the bench after the midweek match. Young star Leonardo Campana left his mark with a goal to equalize 1-1 in the 71st minute, but that was not enough for the home team.

Messi sat and watched Inter Miami disappoint against Montreal.

In just three minutes from 75 to 78, Montreal scored twice to regain the lead. In the 80th minute, defender Jordi Alba had a beautiful shot from outside the penalty area, shortening the score to 2-3 for Inter Miami.

However, Inter Miami’s efforts at the end of the match could not help them avoid losing at home. Coach Gerardo Martino and his students lost their first official match this season.

Inter Miami still has a lot of work to do if it wants to improve its performance compared to last year’s disappointing season. Without Messi in the squad, Inter Miami played lacklusterly and was not worthy of a highly rated team in the tournament.