Huge Baltimore crowd sees Lionel Messi, Inter Miami edge D.C. United

BALTIMORE — A near-capacity crowd of more than 70,000 packed M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday night to watch Lionel Messi score and Inter Miami hold off D.C. United 2-1.

Messi’s strike and a Rodrigo De Paul goal staked the visitors to a 2-0 advantage before the interval, forcing the home side to chase the match. D.C. United finally found a response in the 75th minute when Tai Baribo curled home his second goal of the campaign, but the comeback stalled there.

The victory lifts Inter Miami to 2-1-0 on the young season and six points, while D.C. United will look to regroup after seeing its early momentum halted.