DC United vs Inter Miami

Inter Miami came to M&T Bank Stadium and picked DC United apart in the first half, racing into a 2-0 lead by the break. The visitors dominated possession and made their chances count, with Lionel Messi pulling the strings throughout. United huffed and puffed after the interval, throwing 15 shots at Miami's goal and winning eight corners, but they only managed to find the back of the net once. Miami held firm despite the pressure, and a single United goal wasn't enough to salvage anything from a 1-2 defeat. It was a frustrating afternoon for the home side. They created plenty of opportunities in the second half—far more attempts than their opponents—but couldn't make it count when it mattered. Messi's performance earned him official Man of the Match honors, a deserved recognition for a display that showed why Inter Miami are genuine contenders this season. United will need a sharp look in the mirror before their next fixture.

Inter Miami beat DC United 1-2 at M&T Bank Stadium, and the numbers from the match back up how the game played out. Even without the extra share of possession, which finished 36% in favour of DC United, Inter Miami made the most of the chances that mattered and did enough to see the game out. The shot count told a similar story, with 15 attempts from DC United against 8 from Inter Miami over the course of the game. DC United had their moments and did not make it easy from start to finish, but ultimately came up short on the day. Small margins like this one tend to add up over a season, and results such as this are often what separates teams in the table further down the line. Here is a closer look at exactly how the two sides compared, statistically.