In a tense showdown, Inter Miami overcame Necaxa in the Leagues Cup on Saturday night, with Luis Suárez delivering the decisive penalty kick. The match took a challenging turn for Miami when Lionel Messi sustained a hamstring injury just minutes into the game.
Jordi Alba emerged as a key player, scoring a crucial equalizer with a header in the second minute of stoppage time, leveling the score at 2-2 and pushing the match into a penalty shootout.
During the shootout, Inter Miami displayed remarkable composure, converting all five of their penalty attempts. Goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo played a pivotal role by denying Tomás Badaloni in the third round, setting the stage for Suárez to clinch victory with a powerful shot into the top left corner.
The injury to Messi occurred around the eighth minute when he fell while being challenged by two defenders near the penalty area. He slowly made his way to the bench before sitting down on the pitch, where trainers attended to his right upper thigh. Messi was substituted out in the 11th minute, leaving Miami to navigate the remainder of regulation with one less player.
Shortly after Messi's exit, Telasco Segovia capitalized on a pass from Inter Miami's new signing Rodrigo De Paul, who recorded two assists in just his second match with the team. Segovia's goal marked his second of the tournament, putting Necaxa ahead 1-0.
Badaloni equalized for Necaxa with a well-placed shot past Ríos Novo into the bottom left corner in the 33rd minute. The Mexican side then took the lead again in the 81st minute with a goal from Ricardo Monreal, which seemed destined to be the winning score until Alba's late header from De Paul's free kick brought Miami back into contention.
