Lionel Messi scores four as Inter Miami end poor run with dominant win over CF Montreal

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Miami[/a] have endured a rocky spell since the resumption of play following the World Cup finals, losing four of their previous five games [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/cf-montreal-j9cigLCr/inter-miami-0AheRyBg/?mid=48wU5mmn"]heading into Saturday's clash[/a] in Florida.[/p][p]But the reigning MLS Cup champions got back to winning ways with a confident performance against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cf-montreal/j9cigLCr/"]Montreal[/a], who are languishing second from bottom in the Eastern Conference.[/p][p]Brazil international [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/casemiro/Ukeq3c0b/"]Casemiro[/a], who joined Miami after the World Cup, bagged his first goal for the champions with a 20th minute header at the Nu Stadium.[/p][p]Montreal though hit back with a 37th-minute goal from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/herbers-fabian/2wPfQs28/"]Fabian Herbers[/a], the German midfielder's low shot from the edge of the area squeezing into the bottom corner.[/p][p]But Miami did not have to wait long to regain the lead, and went 2-1 up when a low curling free-kick from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Messi[/a] somehow bamboozled Montreal goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gillier-thomas/hW2nOAcN/"]Thomas Gillier[/a] in the 40th minute.[/p][p]Messi then extended Miami's lead shortly after half-time, the 39-year-old Argentina superstar's momentum helping him weave through a cluster of Montreal defenders before drilling a shot into the bottom corner.[/p][embed guid="eb3522f8-0c1a-45ee-b522-64c0aead6044" url="https://x.com/InterMiamiCF/status/2093866274250018979?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Messi played a key role in Miami's fourth, laying on a superbly flighted pass to send former Barcelona team-mate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suarez-luis/dUShzrBp/"]Luis Suarez[/a] bearing down on goal. Suarez made no mistake with the finish to seal an emphatic win.[/p][p]Messi secured his hat-trick on 83 minutes when he latched on to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-paul-rodrigo/AZ6TTjDC/"]Rodrigo De Paul[/a] pass in the 83rd minute and delicately dinked over the advancing Gillier to make it 5-1.[/p][p]Teenage substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shaw-alexander/bg7kdZnS/"]Alex Shaw[/a] added a sixth goal in the 89th minute, rifling home a low shot from outside the area.[/p][p]But there was still time for Messi to score a fourth, the veteran curling in a trademark free kick from the edge of the area in the dying minutes of stoppage time.[/p][p]The victory leaves Miami in second place in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nashville-sc/84yIDQMe/"]Nashville[/a], who were playing later Saturday.[/p]