Inter Miami snatch late draw with Cincinnati as Messi ends MLS outing without a goal

Inter Miami avoided defeat with a dramatic late equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Cincinnati in Major League Soccer.

Luis Suarez put Inter Miami ahead in the 61st minute, but Cincinnati turned the match around during the closing stages.

Kenji Mboma Dim levelled for the home side in the 80th minute before Samuel Geddy struck six minutes later to give Cincinnati a 2-1 advantage.

Inter Miami rescued a point in the 90th minute when Riquelmi Felipe scored his first goal in Major League Soccer, denying Cincinnati what would have been a significant victory.

The draw came as Inter Miami slipped to third in the Eastern Conference. New England Revolution moved into second after beating New York Red Bulls 3-2 on Wednesday.

That result took New England Revolution to 58 points, two ahead of third-placed Inter Miami. Nashville remain top of the standings on 71 points.

Inter Miami will travel to face New England Revolution next Sunday in a match that could have a major bearing on the battle for second place in the Eastern Conference and potentially the second position in the MLS Cup playoffs.

The fixture will be Inter Miami’s penultimate match of the regular season. They will finish their campaign at home against Charlotte on 7 November.

Cincinnati missed the chance to move closer to securing a place in the playoffs. They remain eighth on 43 points after being held by Inter Miami.

The result continued an inconsistent run for Inter Miami, who lost their previous match 2-0 against New York Red Bulls.

Lionel Messi did not score or provide an assist in this game. Since returning to the team after the World Cup, Messi has featured in 15 Major League Soccer matches for Inter Miami, with the side recording four wins, four defeats and seven draws in those games.