Inter Miami 2-2 Nashville HIGHLIGHTS, CONCACAF Champions Cup: Messi, Suarez score to cancel Shaffelburg brace as MIA , NSH play out entertaining draw

AND THAT’S IT. THE REFEREE BLOWS THE WHISTLE AS MIAMI TAKES HOME A DRAMATIC DRAW! Additionally, Miami also has the away goal advantage that puts it in a commanding position heading into the second leg next week

SUAREZ PROVIDES THE EQUALISER!!! AND IN THE 95th MINUTE! Busquets got the ball at the right side of the box and he chipped one towards Suarez who heads it past Willis to perfection! What a game of football we’re having here

Seven minutes added

OUT: Redondo IN: Sunderland

Corner for Miami as Messi’s through ball is deflected outside. Messi sends one inside the box but Willis jumps higher than others to collect the ball safely

AND THAT’s NUMBER 3 FOR NASHVILLE AS MOORE CONVERTS ONE FROM CLOSE RANGE! Now wait a minute! VAR intervenes as they suspect Moore was offside on the buildup and the replays suggest almost the same AND NO GOAL! OFFSIDE! 

OUT: Zimmerman, Shaffelburg IN: Maher, Bunbury 

OUT: Gressel IN: Ruiz

Messi is down on the grown and is in serious pain after a challenge from Mc Naughton goes awry. The medical team rushes in to attend the Argentinian. Replays show how serious of a tackle that was as Messi was stomped on his left calf. But he is back on his feet after a couple of minutes

OUT: Lovitz, Godoy; IN: Yearwood, Washington

A scuffle between players as Messi and Suarez are involved in a heated arguement with Godoy for unknown reasons. Corner for Miami and Gressel sends a high ball inside the box but it’s cleared without trouble

Corner for Miami. Messi sends a lofted ball inside the box, Gressel tries to head it in but the header is off target

Miami gets a free kick on the right at the edge of the penalty box as Gomez is pulled down by Lovitz. As usual, Messi takes it. He tries to find someone inside the box but there are far too many defenders inside as they clear it with ease

Gomez thought he had Miami’s second but the linesman thinks otherwise as he raises his flag. OFFSIDE! Suarez sent the ball inside the box and Gomez just had to tap it in and he did it with ease but it doesn’t matter in the end! Miami players surround the referee as he consults VAR officials. But the game resumes shortly after and the decision stands

AND WHAT A RESPONSE FROM MESSI! HE PULLS ONE BACK FOR MIAMI WITH A CLINICAL FINISH OF HIS OWN! Suarez, running out of options inside the box, found Messi at the edge of it, who buried it to the top left corner! 

Moore finds Muyl at the edge of the box and the latter tries to go for glory. He takes his time and lofts one towards the goal but the shot is off target by a few inches

AND YET ANOTHER EARLY GOAL FOR NASHVILLE AND THIS ONE IS STRAIGHT OUTTA THE TOP DRAWER! Shaffelburg take a bow! He was surrounded by three defenders when he got the ball near the edge of the box but he somehow found an opening and slotted it on the top right corner! WHAT A GOAL! 

Mukhtar begins the second half proceedings for Nashville

And with that the first 45 minutes come to an end! An entertaining first half on the whole but Nashville will go into the break with a slender lead

Miami gets a free kick just outside the penalty area. Messi has done it before from this distance and he will look to do the same here. But he shoots directly onto the wall! 

Three added minutes

Gressel comes up with a superb lofted ball towards an unmarked Gomez on the left. The latter has options inside the box and he tries to send it towards Suarez but gets intercepted 

Into the final five minutes of the first half. The match so far has been a mixed bag. Apart from the first goal, Nashville has been a bit complacent while Miami has been constantly searching for a leveller with frequent attacks on the flanks but haven’t been able to find an opening

Messi evades a couple of defenders inside the box, gets into close quarters with the goalkeeper and shoots but Willis makes a great save to deflect the ball away

Busquets finds Messi near the box and the latter slips it towards Suarez on the left flank. Suarez then tries for a lofted cross but gets intercepted

Allen and Moore collide onto each other and the Miami man stays down and needs medical attention. But he’s quickly back on his feet though

Messi and Busquets with short one-twos that progresses into an attack. The latter moves into the box and tries to finish but gets intercepted

Quick counter from Nashville, Shaffelburg breaks free and runs away but Redondo brings the former down with an elbow and gets booked for the same

Corner for Miami as Gomez’s shot is deflected away. Gressel goes short as Redondo gets the ball on the right, he tries to send it inside the box but gets intercepted

What about that! Mukhtar tries his luck from a long way out with a brilliant shot to the lower right corner but Callender comes up with an equally impressive save to keep the ball away. Corner for Nashville. Redondo heads it but it is cleared without trouble

We’re 20 minutes into the game and it’s been a fairly equal matchup thus far. Despite not having a goal towards its name, Miami has looked menacing after conceding that early goal

Shaffelburg leads the charge yet again on the left lane. Takes the ball deep inside Miami’s territory and lofts the ball inside the box towards Muyl, who heads it but fails to keep it on target

Gressel’s cross is denied by Zimmerman and Miami gets a corner. Gressep takes it and sends in a low-kept ball. Kryvtsov tries to hit it on the volley but it is deflected away for a corner. 

Messi takes the corner this time, sends one deep inside the box but Willis has no issues saving it

Messi shoots wide!! Redondo gets the ball on the right from Gressel. He then sends it towards Messi at the edge of the box and the Argentinian let it fly but the ball went agonisingly close to the crossbar! 

WHAT A DEFENSE FROM MIAMI! Shaffelburg yet again wreaks havoc on the left flank, making an excellent run into the final third. He then slips the ball inside the box, which Callender punches away but there’s Boyd to recieve on the rebound. Boyd then finds Moore, who tries to shoot but gets intercepted

Aviles takes the ball near the edge of the box and chips it over the defense in an attempt to finds Suarez, but the Uruguayan fails to control the ball as it goes out for a goal kick

AND THE HOME SIDE TAKES THE LEAD! WHAT A START FOR NASHVILLE! Moore skips past a couple of defenders and finds Shaffleburg unmarked and inside the box. The latter then slots it high past Callender, who could only watch as the ball blazes past him

Sloppy start from Miami as both of its attempted attacks along the left flank have been intercepted

The players have made their way into the middle. Messi gets the first touch on the ball as the match gets underway. Miami has fielded its new recruit Federico Redondo and will sport its usual all pink jersey while Nashville is wearing a yellow outfit

Elsewhere, CF Monterry is leading 1-0 against Cincinnati with just over a minute left on the clock. Huge result for Monterry since it will have the away goal advantage going into next week’s cup fixture. 

Update: Monterry beats Cincinnati 1-0 

Inter Miami will enter the brief midweek pause in MLS regular season action on stellar form after registering a record-breaking 5-0 win over rival Orlando City SC to register the largest margin of victory in Club history.

Miami will be participating in the tournament for the first time in Club history. The R16 stage will be a two-leg series. 

Tata Martino’s side is unbeaten in the past three matches against Tennessee-based side, earning a 2-1 in the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup last May, winning the 2023 Leagues Cup title via a penalty shootout in the final in August, and most recently playing out a hard fought goalless draw during the preseason also in August.

Meanwhile, Nashville will enter the matchup the after collecting two points from two draws in the team’s opening league fixtures. In the team’s latest matchup, it drew 1-1 against the Colorado Rapids on March 2. 

When will Inter Miami vs Nashville match start?

The CONCACAF Champions Cup match between Inter Miami vs Nashville will kick off on March 8, 2024 at 7:30 a.m. IST. 

Where to watch the Inter Miami vs Nashville match in India?

The CONCACAF Champions Cup match between Inter Miami vs Nashville will not be broadcast in India. The match can be live streamed on Apple TV with an MLS season pass. There will be no other live streams in India