Inter Miami held by Atlanta United after late penalty denies Lionel Messi’s side

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were denied victory by a late penalty as Atlanta United fought back to claim a 2-2 draw in Major League Soccer.

Inter Miami appeared to be in control for long periods but were unable to see out the game against one of the Eastern Conference’s poorest-performing sides. A second penalty conceded in the closing stages allowed Breel Embolo to level the score in the 87th minute and complete a dramatic late setback for the home team.

The match itself began almost two hours later than scheduled after heavy rain left the pitch in a condition that forced organisers to delay kick-off.

Inter Miami, who are known as the Herons, made the stronger start and controlled much of the opening period. However, Atlanta United remained dangerous whenever they managed to move forward quickly, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

The hosts eventually took the lead in the 32nd minute. Casemiro rose to meet the ball and headed it past the Atlanta goalkeeper to put Inter Miami in front.

Their advantage lasted only three minutes. Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron produced a powerful finish into the bottom corner in the 35th minute, restoring parity for the visitors.

Inter Miami responded before the interval and regained the lead in first-half stoppage time. Telasco Segovia delivered a cross into the area, with Luis Suarez converting it in the 45th minute plus one to make it 2-1.

Atlanta continued to threaten after the restart, but Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair produced a series of important saves to protect his side’s advantage. His most notable intervention came in the 78th minute.

Almiron then had the opportunity to score his second goal of the game from the penalty spot after Atlanta were awarded a penalty. St. Clair kept out the attempt, preserving Inter Miami’s narrow lead.

The visitors were handed another route back into the contest after a further mistake resulted in a second penalty being awarded. This time, Embolo made no mistake, sending the ball into the net in the 87th minute to bring the score level at 2-2.

Despite dominating much of the match, Inter Miami could not find a winning goal in the final minutes. The result leaves them second in the Eastern Conference standings, while Atlanta United remain second from bottom.

Messi was judged to have produced a good individual performance. Data platform Sofascore gave the Inter Miami forward a rating of 7.3.

The draw once again highlighted that Inter Miami’s problems have not been completely resolved, despite their control of large parts of the game and their twice-held advantage.

Readers can discuss the latest football news and topics in greater depth on the Kooora forums.