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FORT LAUDERDALE: Lionel Messi returned from injury for Inter Miami to chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!” in a 3-1 win over the the LA Galaxy on Saturday.
It was the magic defender Maximiliano Falcón said the team has come to expect.
“We’re used to this. You saw what he did, got the ball with a clear look at goal and scored,” Falcón said in Spanish.
Even after a two game absence it was no surprise that Messi, MLS’ top goal scorer, led Inter Miami to victory. He had been training with the team since midweek and coach Javier Mascherano confirmed he would be available for the weekend match.
The Argentine superstar put in a 45 minute shift and his countryman Rodrigo de Paul assisted him as they beat the worst team in MLS. The two world champions did not participate in pregame warmups, but they did warm up before they entered the game at halftime to the raucous cheers of Miami fans.
Messi injured his hamstring on Aug. 2 against Necaxa in a Leagues Cup match. Inter Miami reached the Leagues Cup quarterfinals without him, but were defeated by instate rivals Orlando City 4-1 in MLS action.
Besides his ability, it’s Messi’s competitive attitude that transcends this Miami squad according to Mascherano.
“He wants to play every single game. He wanted to play in Orlando also. You have to understand why Leo is Leo, because he always wants to be on the pitch,” Mascherano said after the win over Galaxy.
Messi’s return comes at an important time, before his squad takes on eight-time Mexican champions Tigres UANL in South Florida on Wednesday. LA Galaxy, the reigning 2024 MLS Cup Champions, also looked at this Saturday’s game as a chance to rotate their squad ahead of their Leagues Cup quarterfinal match against C.F. Pachuca.

MADRID: Barcelona began the defense of their La Liga title with a comfortable 3-0 win at Mallorca, scoring early and taking advantage of two first-half red cards for the hosts on Saturday.

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who led Barcelona’s prolific attack last season, needed only seven minutes to impress again. Yamal’s curling cross found Raphinha by the far post and the Brazil forward headed in from close range.

Ferran Torres’ shot from outside the area in the 23rd was a goal that drew complaints by Mallorca because one of their players was on the ground after being hit by the ball in the head in the buildup.

Some Mallorca players stopped playing after teammate Antonio Raíllo went down, but the referee allowed play to continue. Mallorca immediately complained after Ferran scored.

“The ball hit my head and I got dizzy. I tried to get up and I couldn’t. The referee should have stopped the game,” Raíllo said. “After that, everything was harder and the game got out of control.”

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he understood why Mallorca were upset with how the goal developed.

“Maybe I would not be happy,” Flick said. “But in the end I always say to my team, ‘Until the referee stops the match you have to continue.’”

Raíllo noted that Torres said he shot the ball only because he thought the game was stopping.

Mallorca coach Jagoba Arrasate said it should be protocol to immediately stop play if someone gets hit in the head like what happened to Raíllo.

“The fourth official told the referee to stop the game, I don’t know why he didn’t,” Arrasate said. “Then there were the red cards, and there was no more match after that. With nine players it was impossible.”

The hosts went a man down 10 minutes later when Manu Morlanes was sent off for a second yellow card for fouling Yamal on the run. His first yellow was for protesting Barcelona’s second goal.

The second red card in the 39th came from Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi hitting the head of Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García with his left foot while reaching up for a high ball. The referee changed the card from yellow to red after a video review.

Yamal made it 3-0 in second half stoppage time by hitting the top corner.

Barcelona, who won the league last season after scoring 102 goals, were without veteran striker Robert Lewandowski because of an injury. Newly signed forward Marcus Rashford went in as a substitute in the 69th.

New Barcelona goalkeeper

Garcia didn’t have to work much in his Barcelona debut after being signed in the offseason in a transfer from city rival Espanyol.

Regular starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out after undergoing lower back surgery, and Garcia started ahead of Wojciech Szczęsny and Iñaki Peña, who replaced Ter Stegen last season.

Also debuting for Barcelona was 18-year-old defender Jofre Torrents.

Other results

Valencia were held to 1-1 by visiting Real Sociedad, with Diego Lopez putting the home team ahead in the 53rd and Takefusa Kubo equalizing for Sociedad three minutes later.

Alaves opened with a 2-1 home victory over promoted Levante thanks to Nahuel Tenaglia’s stoppage-time winner.

On Friday, Rayo Vallecano won at Girona 3-1 and Villarreal defeated promoted Oviedo 2-0.

Atletico Madrid are at Espanyol on Sunday, while Real Madrid host s Osasuna on Tuesday.