FOOTBALL – Lionel Messi connected on a free kick in the 54th minute to propel Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over FC Porto in a Group A match of the Fifa Club World Cup yesterday.
After Porto struck first on Samu Aghehowa’s penalty kick in the eighth minute, Marcelo Weigandt assisted on Telasco Segovia’s game-tying goal in the 47th.
Miami found their second goal in the first 10 minutes of the second half against Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos as Messi scored on the 68th free-kick goal of his illustrious career.
Each team netted their first goals of the tournament after Miami tied Al Ahly 0-0 on Saturday and Porto suffered the same result against Palmeiras on Sunday.
Earlier, Jose Lopez scored in the 60th minute to lift Brazil’s Palmeiras to a 2-0 victory over Egypt’s Al Ahly in a Group A match.
Weverton made two saves to help Palmeiras maintain the clean sheet.
Palmeiras opened the scoring in the 49th minute following an own goal by Al Ahly’s Wessam Abou Ali, who inadvertently headed home Anibal Moreno’s free kick.
Palmeiras doubled the advantage after Lopez sent a left-footed shot into the net following Mauricio’s through ball.
The match had a short delay in the 63rd minute “because of severe weather in the area.”
Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both scored twice as the young guns of Juventus made a statement in their opener with a dominant 5-0 win over Emirati club Al Ain.
Kolo Muani grabbed both of his goals in the first half, Conceicao scored either side of the break while Turkey forward Kenan Yildiz also found the net as Juventus dazzled the crowd at Audi Field with some mesmeric football.
The convincing victory sent Juventus to the top of Group G level on three points with England’s Manchester City, who beat Wydad Casablanca 2-0 earlier.
Juventus next play Morroco’s Wydad in Philadephia on Sunday, while Al Ain, who lost to Real Madrid in the 2018 Club World Cup final, face City in Atlanta later the same day.