April 11, (THEWILL) – Mexican football team, Monterrey, defeated Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 3-1 early on Thursday, winning by a 5-2 aggregate and claiming a place in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals.
The Liga MX outfit, displaying impressive form, overcame the star-studded MLS club, with goals from Brandon Vazquez, German Berterame and Jesus Gallardo, sealing the deserved win for Monterrey.
Despite the presence of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, who was recalled to Inter Miami’s starting lineup after a near-month-long injury absence, the Florida-based club struggled to match the sharpness and dominance of their Mexican counterparts.
Monterrey’s US international striker, Vazquez, opened the scoring in the 31st minute, capitalising on a costly error from Inter Miami goalkeeper, Drake Callender. Berterame and Gallardo then added to Monterrey’s lead in the second half, leaving Inter Miami with a mountain to climb.
The CONCACAF Champions Cup, the premier regional club competition for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, will see Monterrey advance to face Major League Soccer champions, Columbus, in the semi-finals. The winner of this year’s tournament will earn a coveted spot at the expanded FIFA Club World Cup next year.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
