Inter Miami settle for chaotic Atlanta United draw as Lionel Messi struggles to get involved in second half cameo

Inter Miami and Atlanta United played out a chaotic 3-3 draw in their MLS clash on Wednesday night, with Lionel Messi making a late cameo appearance for the home side.

Messi, who joined Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, came on as a substitute in the 64th minute with his team trailing 3-2. However, the Argentine was unable to make a significant impact on the game as Atlanta United held on for a point.

The match was a thrilling end-to-end encounter, with both teams creating chances throughout. Atlanta United took the lead in the 19th minute through Thiago Almada, but Inter Miami hit back quickly through Leonardo Campana. Gonzalo Higuain then put Miami ahead in the 32nd minute, only for Luiz Araújo to equalize for Atlanta United just before half-time.

Atlanta United regained the lead in the 55th minute through Josef Martínez, but Miami again fought back and equalized through Robert Taylor in the 72nd minute. Messi's introduction failed to inspire Inter Miami to a winner, and the match ended in a draw.

The result leaves Inter Miami in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, while Atlanta United are in 10th place.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the match:

• Inter Miami are still struggling to find consistency under new coach Phil Neville.
• Atlanta United are a dangerous team going forward, but they need to improve their defending.
• Messi is still not fully match fit and needs more time to adapt to the MLS.

Overall, the match was a entertaining draw between two evenly matched teams.