Thanks to Luis Suarez, Inter Miami have put themselves in a good starting position in the first leg of the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Lionel Messi also scored in Nashville – and caused an anxious moment
Inter Miami remained unbeaten in their fourth competitive game of the new season, but once again it was close. In the round of 16 first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the equivalent of the Champions League for clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean, Luis Suarez rescued a 2-2 draw for Inter at Nashville SC in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Winger Jacob Shuffelburg had initially put Nashville 2:0 in front: The 24-year-old Canadian scored under the crossbar as early as the fourth minute after the visitors lost possession and slammed the ball into the right-hand corner of the goal less than a minute after the half-time break.
However, Inter, who had qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup as League Cup winners in a thrilling final against Nashville (10:9 on penalties) in the summer, quickly came back. Messi, who had previously missed a goal several times, finally overcame goalkeeper Joe Willis (35) with a left-footed shot near the edge of the box six minutes after going 2-0 down.
Later, the world champion, who was repeatedly honored with chants in the stadium, had to be treated for a long time after an unintentional but nasty kick to the calf, but was able to continue playing after a generous application of ice spray. After Nashville’s supposed 3:1 was disallowed by VAR due to a wafer-thin offside position, two former FC Barcelona team-mates equalized: Suarez headed in a cross from Sergio Busquets.
Mukhtar extends his contract until 2026
At Inter, Julian Gressel was once again in the starting eleven – this time not in midfield, but at right-back – while Nashville had Hany Mukhtar. The former Herthaner, the franchise’s record goalscorer and assist provider, had extended his contract before the game until 2026 with an option for a further season.
The second leg of the battle for a place in the quarter-finals will take place in Miami on Wednesday night (1.15 a.m. CET). The winner of the CONCACAF Champions Cup – like FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, among others – can take part in the 2025 Club World Cup.
