Lionel Messi couldn’t play on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury as his team, Inter Miami, took a lead against Monterrey from Mexico. But things went downhill in the second half, and Inter Miami lost 2-1 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Messi has been out of action for four games due to the injury. It’s uncertain when the 36-year-old will return. The second leg of the quarterfinal is set for April 10 in Mexico. Inter Miami also has an MLS match against Colorado on Saturday.
Inter Miami’s coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Messi is improving daily, but it was too risky for him to play in the recent match.
Monterrey’s Jorge Rodríguez scored the winning goal in the 89th minute, sealing Inter Miami’s fate. David Ruíz’s red card in the 65th minute made things worse for Miami, as they played with one player short for the remainder of the match.
Despite a solid first-half performance and a goal from Tomas Avilés, Inter Miami struggled in the latter part of the game. Miami’s goalkeeper Drake Callender made seven saves, while Monterrey’s Esteban Andrada made one. Robert Taylor also left the game due to injury in the 36th minute.
