Inter Miami brought back its star lineup, including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets, for their home match against Atlanta United on Wednesday night. The excitement was palpable at Chase Stadium as fans eagerly anticipated another stellar performance from their high-profile team.

However, the steamy, humid night seemed to sap the energy from Miami’s players, leading to a 3-1 defeat that ended their 10-game unbeaten streak.

A Rough Night for Miami

Despite the return of their star players, Inter Miami looked sluggish from the start. Atlanta, desperate to end their own nine-game winless streak and with coach Gonzalo Pineda’s job on the line, played with urgency and took full advantage of Miami’s lethargy.

“There are no positives to take from this game,” Miami coach Tata Martino said about the match against his former team, whom he coached to the 2018 MLS Cup title. “We were missing a step against Atlanta. We took a step backward from how we had been playing, and that was totally unexpected.”

Atlanta Takes the Lead

Atlanta’s Saba Lobjanidze was the standout player, scoring twice. His first goal came just before halftime after intercepting a weak pass from Busquets, racing past Miami defenders, and blasting a shot past goalkeeper Drake Callender from outside the box. Lobjanidze struck again in the 59th minute, finding plenty of space and scoring with ease.

Messi’s Magic Not Enough

Lionel Messi provided a glimmer of hope for Miami fans with a spectacular left-footed goal from distance in the 62nd minute. However, Atlanta’s Jamal Thiare widened the gap with a close-range shot 10 minutes later, effectively sealing the game. Despite Messi’s efforts, the Miami defense looked porous, and the team seemed disjointed.

Post-Match Reactions

Martino expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance, noting that everything went wrong. He praised Atlanta midfielder Thiago Almada, who returned to the lineup after a calf injury, for making a significant impact.

Atlanta coach Gonzalo Pineda explained his strategy to contain Lionel Messi and Suarez. “Understanding that Messi and Suarez were going to be on top, I wanted to have always a three vs. two against them,” Pineda said. “The players did amazing in terms of those times.”

Miami’s Defensive Struggles

Miami’s defense, which had performed well in the previous three games, struggled against Atlanta. Although Martino praised center-back Sergiy Kryvtsov for his effort, the overall defensive performance was lacking. Goalkeeper Drake Callender was visibly frustrated as the game progressed.

Impact on the Standings

Despite the loss, Miami still holds the best record in Major League Soccer through 17 games, with 34 points from 10 wins, three losses, and four ties. Cincinnati, which could have overtaken Miami in the Eastern Conference standings, also lost to Nashville and remained in second place with 33 points.

Looking Ahead

Inter Miami faces a busy schedule ahead, with Messi expected to play at least some minutes in the next match against St. Louis. After that, Messi and possibly Suarez will join their national teams for Copa América, potentially missing several MLS matches during the tournament.

Messi’s Opportunities

Messi had some early opportunities, including a diving header and a chip towards the left post that narrowly missed. His goal in the 63rd minute was a typical Messi masterpiece, threading the ball between two defenders and just inside the right post.

Inter Miami’s 3-1 loss to Atlanta United highlighted issues in their defense and overall team cohesion. While Messi’s brilliance provided a moment of excitement, it was not enough to overcome a determined Atlanta side. 

With key players likely to miss future matches due to international duties, Miami will need to regroup and address these challenges to maintain its strong standing in MLS.

The information is Collected from Yahoo Sports and AOL