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Riyadh (AFP) – Luis Suarez secured his first-ever goal for Inter Miami, while Lionel Messi successfully converted a penalty. However, these efforts were not sufficient to prevent the Major League Soccer team from succumbing to a 4-3 loss against Al Hilal, a Saudi Pro League team, in Riyadh on Monday.
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Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi managed to dodge the Al Hilal defense in the MLS club’s 4-3 friendly loss on Monday. The thrilling match at the Kingdom Arena was ultimately decided by an 88th-minute header from Brazilian forward Malcom, securing victory for his team after a spirited fightback from Miami. Despite initially trailing 3-1 early in the second half, Miami managed to equalize thanks to goals from Julian Gressel and Messi. However, it was Malcom’s late goal that ultimately sealed the win for Miami.
This friendly match was part of Miami’s pre-season tour, which has taken them to various destinations around the world. The team is preparing for the start of the Major League Soccer season on February 21.
The game saw Al Hilal take an early lead through former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic’s goal in the 10th minute. Abdullah Al-Hamdan then extended their lead to 2-0 just three minutes later, taking advantage of a mistake from Miami’s Noah Allen. Sergio Busquets had an opportunity to pull one back for Miami, but he missed his chance in the 26th minute.
Miami’s pressure finally paid off in the 34th minute when Luis Suarez scored after a well-executed pass from Jordi Alba. Initially ruled offside, the goal was eventually allowed after a VAR check.
However, Al Hilal managed to restore their two-goal advantage just before halftime, with Michael nodding home a cross from Al-Hamdan. Miami showed great determination in the second half, quickly equalizing through Messi’s penalty in the 54th minute and a stunning strike from David Ruiz just two minutes later.
The match seemed destined for a draw, but Malcom’s late header secured the win for Miami. Their next friendly will be against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on Thursday before they continue their preparations for the upcoming season.
