Miami remain next to bottom of the Eastern Conference, six points behind DC United.
Atlanta United’s Brooks Lennon celebrates after scoring during the MLS match against Inter Miami.
Miami coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino said after the loss that Messi and had been suffering from “muscle fatigue” and that it would have been “very reckless to bring him to play this game”. With no Messi last week, Miami defeated Sporting Kansas City 3-2 but this time it was a very different story for Martino’s team.
But the response from Atlanta, sixth in the Eastern Conference, was emphatic with three goals in the space of eight minutes. Miami’s defence, without former Spain international left-back Jordi Alba, were reeling and the rampant Atlanta attack took full advantage, Brooks Lennon adding the third in the 44th minute with a sweetly struck shot after being set up by Caleb Wiley.
Another well-worked swift break resulted in the fifth in the 89th minute with Lobjanidze again the creator, setting up Tyler Wolff to blast home.