Messi scores four as Inter Miami end poor run by putting seven goals past 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][embed guid="ea6ffba9-99a9-4101-92b8-4c955ad2711f" url="https://x.com/MLS/status/2093902920672481682" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]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. [/b]The goal went down as an own goal in some places.[/p][p][b]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.[/b][/p][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][image alt="Messi scored a perfect 10 rating" id="8643007c-28a8-4dec-b655-43bb69eb1f8d" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="7efb7854-b24b-4af6-8c55-e8e768b676cc" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]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.[/b][/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][b]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.[/b][/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][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/usa/mls/"]Catch up on all the MLS results with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p][embed guid="42f6ac0e-c910-47f5-848f-f384ba3d2779" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfSf0FATxJs" social-type="youtube" /]