Messi leads Miami to first trophy with Leagues Cup win

Nashville, Aug. 21: Lionel Messi scored a screamer and won his first trophy in North American soccer as Inter Miami beat Nashville on penalties (10-9) after their final ended 1-1 in 90 minutes.

The Argentine World Cup winner had put Miami ahead in the 24th minute with a wonder strike into the top corner but Fafa Picault levelled for Nashville in the second half.

After Messi hit the post and Leonardo Campana missed a last second chance to win the game in regulation for Miami, the game went to a shoot-out which ended in a duel between the two keepers and Elliot Panicco's shot being saved by Miami's Drake Callender.

Messi and his team-mates rushed to celebrate with the American goalkeeper, who had made some key saves late in the game to keep his team alive.

Miami, in their third season of existence, were rock bottom of Major League Soccer when Messi joined them a month ago but Messi, along with Spanish pair Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, has utterly transformed the team leading them on a seven game unbeaten run to the League Cup title.

Co-owner David Beckham, who created the club, said he was stunned by the way the former Barcelona trio had been able to bring about change so quickly.

"It is like a movie, you watch these players play and it is, emotionally, everything about their play is beautiful,” he said.

Seven-times Ballon d'Or winner Messi has now scored 10 goals in seven games in the pink shirt of his new club and on Wednesday has the chance to reach another final when his team take on Cincinnati in the semi-final of the US Open Cup.

Madrid beat Almeria

New arrival Jude Bellingham struck twice for Real Madrid to help them come from behind to beat Almeria 3-1 in La Liga on Saturday and said he was "ten times better" than last season.

After netting on his debut last weekend, Bellingham again played a key role for Carlo Ancelotti's side as they maintained their 100 per cent start to the season.

Vinicius Junior added the third after being teed up by Bellingham to wrap up Los Blancos' victory at the Power Horse Stadium on Spain's east coast, after Sergio Arribas had sent the hosts ahead early on.

Without talisman and Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema, who left the club in the summer, Bellingham has quickly filled the void with three goals in his first two games after his move from the Bundesliga. The former Borussia Dortmund and Birmingham City star has hit the ground running in Spain, wearing former Madrid great Zinedine Zidane's number five shirt.

Mbappe scores on PSG return

Kylian Mbappe won and converted a penalty on his Paris Saint-Germain return on Saturday in a 1-1 draw at Toulouse after being reinstated to the first team following a contract dispute with the French champions.

The France captain started on the bench but came on in the 51st minute and promptly broke the deadlock, drawing a foul from Rasmus Nicolaisen and tucking away the resulting spot-kick just past the hour mark.

Zakaria Aboukhlal equalised with a penalty three minutes from time after he was tugged back by Morocco team-mate Achraf Hakimi, leaving Luis Enrique still searching for his first win as PSG coach.

Mbappe's appearance was his first for PSG since a friendly on July 21 after not being invited to the pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea and then missing the opening 0-0 draw against Lorient.

Osimhen gives Napoli winning start

Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martinez both struck opening day doubles on Saturday as Napoli got their Serie A title defence off to a winning start at Frosinone and Inter Milan beat Monza 2-0.

Nigeria striker Osimhen netted in each half to help ensure the champions came from behind to win 3-1 on Rudi Garcia's debut as coach following the resignation of new Italy boss Luciano Spalletti.

Matteo Politano scored Napoli's other goal, getting the away side back on level terms midway through the first half after Abdou Harroui had given hosts Frosinone a shock early lead from the penalty spot.

Inter looked like they were on their way to a convincing win when captain Martinez put the hosts ahead with just seven minutes gone at a packed San Siro.

The Argentina forward finished five goals behind Osimhen in the Serie A scoring charts last season and swept home the opener from Denzel Dumfries' low cross.

And although Monza put up a fight Martinez gave Inter a deserved three points in the 76th minute with another simple finish, this time from Marko Arnautovic's cross. (AFP)