Lionel Messi will try to add another milestone to the long list of accomplishments in his legendary career Saturday when he leads Inter Miami against host Charlotte FC.
Messi will be seeking his 900th career goal, which would join him with Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to achieve the feat.
Messi will also try to continue the recent momentum for Inter Miami (2-1-0, 6 points) in league play as it tries to win a third consecutive league match. Charlotte (1-1-1, 4 points) is coming off its first win of the season after beating Austin 3-1 this past Saturday.
Messi and his teammates failed to score in the most recent match they played on Wednesday when they dueled MLS rival Nashville to a scoreless draw in the first leg of their Round of 16 series in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
A bigger concern for the Herons could be the health of defender Maxi Falcon, who exited Wednesday’s match in the fifth minute with a knee injury. The extent of time Falcon will miss is unclear but he will not be available Saturday.
“We don’t know yet the severity of Maxi’s injury, he will have to undergo testing,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. “Hopefully it will be as minor as possible, but honestly, he is a strong player and for him to leave the match means that he has something. We hope he can recuperate quickly.”
Charlotte’s Pep Biel dealt with multiple injuries during the MLS playoffs last season, including knee and hamstring issues, but has looked healthy and been excellent for the home side so far this season.
Biel, who scored 10 goals and had 12 assists last season, has scored three goals in three league matches. Two of those goals came in the victory against Austin, and Biel nearly recorded a hat trick had it not been for a hand ball, which disallowed his would-be third goal.
“I’m very happy for the two goals, the third one almost there,” Biel said. “But I’m happy to help the team.”
Saturday’s match will be the second in a stretch of five consecutive home matches for Charlotte as it looks to stockpile points and make an early-season rise in the Eastern Conference standings.
–Field Level Media
