Messi Magic Lifts Inter Miami to Leagues Cup Title

Teammates hold up Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi as they celebrate after winning the Leagues Cup final football match against Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 19, 2023. (AFP)
Teammates hold up Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi as they celebrate after winning the Leagues Cup final football match against Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 19, 2023. (AFP)
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Messi Magic Lifts Inter Miami to Leagues Cup Title

Teammates hold up Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi as they celebrate after winning the Leagues Cup final football match against Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 19, 2023. (AFP)
Teammates hold up Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi as they celebrate after winning the Leagues Cup final football match against Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 19, 2023. (AFP)

Inter Miami beat Nashville SC in a thrilling Leagues Cup final on Saturday after a 1-1 tie was settled by a marathon 10-9 penalty shootout as Lionel Messi extended his winning streak with the MLS side to seven games.

Messi opened the scoring in the 23th minute, notching his 10th goal since joining the team with a blistering shot from distance past multiple defenders and into the top left corner of the net.

Nashville's Fafa Picault leveled for the home team in the 57th minute and both teams came agonizingly close to taking the lead in the rollercoaster second half.

In the shootout, Nashville goalkeeper Elliot Panicco missed the final kick of the night to deliver Inter Miami, who joined the league in 2020, their first trophy.

Messi's overjoyed teammates lifted the Argentine in the air as ecstatic Miami co-owner David Beckham raised his arms above his head in triumph.



Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

 Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
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Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

 Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Florian Wirtz returned from injury to help Bayer Leverkusen defeat in-form Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, when the latter was aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in stoppage time.

Hugo Ekitiké looked set to score by heading the ball into an unguarded net after a mix up between goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah, but Tah rushed back to put the airborne Ekitiké off balance and miss the ball.

Frankfurt’s protests went unheeded and Victor Boniface’s 72nd-minute goal proved to be the winner for the defending champion.

Boniface had an early chance from the penalty spot but Kevin Trapp saved his poorly struck spot kick in the ninth minute.

Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush showed how it’s done seven minutes later, firing a penalty inside the left post after a clumsy challenge from Robert Andrich. It was Marmoush’s ninth goal in seven Bundesliga games, and it stretched his six-game scoring run.

But Andrich atoned by equalizing in the 25th after playing a one-two with Amine Adli and then Martin Terrier before a cool finish inside the far post.

Boniface finally scored when Trapp deflected substitute Wirtz’s cross kindly for a simple header.

Leverkusen said on Tuesday that Wirtz injured his ankle while on international duty with Germany.

Also, Xavi Simons starred for Leipzig to beat Mainz 2-0 away, Freiburg routed Augsburg 3-1 at home, Borussia Mönchengladbach defeated Heidenheim 3-2, and Hoffenheim defeated winless Bochum 3-1.