Messi and Alba Dismantle RBNY as Inter Miami Bounce Back

After a good stretch of dominant form, Inter Miami finally tasted defeat in a 3-0 loss to FC Cincinnati. While that result came as a surprise and was their first since their Club World Cup exit, it marked the end of a strong run and served as a reminder that they are still vulnerable. Red Bull New York entered this fixture off the back of a thrilling 5-3 comeback win over New England Revolution, overcoming a 2-0 halftime deficit. That victory was powered by standout displays from Eric Choupo-Moting and Emil Forsberg, who both scored twice to energize the crowd at Red Bull Arena.

Neither side is particularly known for defensive discipline, so the matchup shaped up as a battle between attacking flair. The spotlight was firmly on Messi and Choupo-Moting, both in excellent scoring form.

The opening minutes were riddled with sloppy play from Inter Miami. Trying to play out from the back, they moved the ball too slowly and repeatedly gave it away under pressure. RBNY pressed aggressively and nearly capitalized a few times before winning a corner in the 14th minute. Forsberg swung it in, and Alexander Hack bundled it over the line to give the home side an early lead.

But Messi was always going to have his say. In the 24th minute, he cut in from the right and slid a familiar pass to Jordi Alba, who finished coolly. Three minutes later, Messi went aerial with a similar ball. Alba got on the end of it again, pulled it back across goal, and Telasco Segovia slotted home for a quickfire turnaround.