October 19—the last time Lionel Messi got his name on the scoresheet, netting an emphatic hat trick within 30 minutes to help his side secure a 6-2 win against the New England Revolution. Since then, the Herons have played two MLS playoff games against Atlanta United, and the Argentinian hot red form has rather cooled down. While this has raised concerns about his performance in the upcoming Game 3 fixture, rival coach Rob Valentino defended Messi, backing him as a ‘great player.‘

The Atlanta United boss believes that the Inter Miami skipper is rather going through a bit of a rough patch and may come to his senses and haunt the Five Stripes on Saturday night. “Nothing changes for me based on where the game is,” began Valentino when asked if it changes anything. Messi’s performance will be affected even though Miami is playing at Chase Stadium.

“Messi is a great player, I don’t want to hear anything negative about his performance. No matter what people say about his productivity, he is a great player. We will just focus on the start of the game and being very careful,” fervently defended the former American international and the 38-year-old coach, as compiled by @psg_chief on X.

We know fans would like to see Lionel Messi score every time he steps on the pitch, but it’s just a sad reality that it won’t be happening and neither it’s in the hands of the man himself. However, that still doesn’t give anyone a reason to underestimate La Pulga and his goalscoring abilities. No wonder Valentino has been defending the 37-year-old as he knows the former Barcelona maestro might end up scoring against his side.

In fact, Messi would be on a mission to score and make things level, considering he hasn’t been doing that the past two games.

Is the third time the charm for Lionel Messi against Atlanta United?

In the first clash between the two teams, Inter Miami claimed a 2-1 victory, with the Supporters’ Shield champions grabbing an early lead as Luis Suarez scored just two minutes in. Atlanta leveled the score before halftime, but Jordi Alba sealed the win for Tata Martino’s side shortly after the hour mark.

However, the latest matchup saw Tata Martino’s team suffer a surprising 2-1 defeat to Rob Valentino’s squad. Despite David Martinez scoring just before halftime to put Miami ahead, Atlanta mounted an impressive second-half comeback, with Derrick Williams and Xande Silva, who struck a stoppage-time winner, securing the win.

Now, the teams are tied in the results, and it all comes down to Game 3 of the playoffs, where each side has a chance to clinch victory. If Lionel Messi finds the back of the net, the Florida-based club may be unstoppable, with their star player also doing his part to help seal the win. Regardless, share your thoughts in the comments.