Messi, Suarez net in Miami draw Verstappen tops final practice in Jeddah
Inter Miami ............. 2 Nashville ................. 2
MIAMI – Luis Suarez struck in stoppage time and Lionel Messi scored shortly after half-time to help Inter Miami tie Nashville 2-2 Thursday night in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The teams will meet Wednesday night in Miami for the second leg of the home-and-home portion of the round of 16, with Miami holding a decisive edge thanks to the away goals rule.
Suarez tied it by scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a header off a cross from former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets. Messi got Inter Miami on the board with his first Concacaf goal in the 52nd minute.
Jacob Shaffelburg scored in the fourth minute, then again in the 47th minute after half-time to put Nashville up 2-0. The home team believed it had a 3-1 lead when Shaq Moore scored in the 83rd minute, only to have the goal waived off for being offside.
All eyes were on Messi.
Once the match was set last week, ticket prices seemed ready to soar, similar to Messi’s first visit to Nashville last August in the Leagues Cup final. Tickets remained available Thursday, though pink Messi jerseys dotted Geodis Park. Fans also chanted the name of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner repeatedly.
REgULaTiOn
Messi scored in regulation and converted the first shot in penalty kicks the last time these teams played here. He had to be a bit more patient Thursday night.
He missed in the 13th minute trying to bend the ball just inside the left edge of the goal from the middle of the box with his left-footed kick going just wide – then appeared to ask himself how he didn’t score. Nashville keeper Joe Willis stopped Messi’s shot off his right foot in the 37th minute from the top of the box.
JEDDAH – Max Verstappen topped Friday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix third and final practice for the troubled Red Bull team after British teenager Oliver Bearman was handed a dramatic debut for Ferrari.
The defending three-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute 28.412 seconds to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by two-tenths as he again shrugged aside the controversy around the team, following Christian Horner being cleared of all allegations of improper conduct last week.
Bearman, 18, was called in by Ferrari to replace appendicitis victim Carlos Sainz – who had taken part in both of Thursday’s sessions despite great discomfort – yesterday morning and delivered a calm performance to finish 10th.
FaSTEST
Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull took third with George Russell fourth for Mercedes ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, who was fastest on Thursday, and teammate Lance Stroll.
Oscar Piastri was eighth in the second McLaren ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes and the cool and impressive Bearman.
The session began in hot conditions with an air temperature of 26 degrees and the track at 43 following the unexpected news that Bearman was being handed his competitive Formula One debut with Ferrari after Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis.
Valtteri Bottas led the way as the lights turned green followed by Bearman. The Finn clocked 1:31.307 and Bearman 1:33.114, a very respectable effort.