Lionel Messi scores brace in Inter Miami win in MLS - WATCH
Lionel Messi set up Tadeo Allende's opener for his 12th assist and then scored his 21st and 22nd goals to climb to the top of the MLS goal chart.
New Delhi: Lionel Messi netted a brace to become Major League Soccer's leading scorer this season as Inter Milan notched up a 3-2 win over DC United in a home game.
Messi set up Tadeo Allende's opener for his 12th assist and then scored his 21st and 22nd goals to climb to the top of the goal chart above Nashville's Sam Surridge.
Miami now have 52 points from 15 wins and seven draws in 28 matches and registered successive victories for the first time since July.
The Herons rose to the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings and kept them eight points behind East leader Philadelphia with three matches in hand.
Christian Benteke scored his eighth goal but for DC United lost for the first time in five matches and now have 25 points from five wins, 10 draws in 25 matches.
Class apart
Substitute Jacob Murrell added a late consolation goal for DC after Messi's second-half brace put Miami up 3-1.
Messi could have easily scored a hat-trick on any other day, given how often he threatened to score in the second half.
Moments after Benteke equalised at 1-1 in the 53rd minute, he forced two saves from DC keeper Kuis Baraza before putting his team ahead in the 66th.
Jordi Alba played a perfectly weighted pass for Messi to turn and finish calmly after which Miam's Mateo Silvetti missed a penalty in the 72nd minute.
Messi then secured the three points with the insurance goal in the 85th as he latched on to Sergio Busquets' well outside the box.
Even after receiving the ball, he had much to do and the Argentine dribble past his marker before unleashing a shot from the edge of the area that went into the top left corner.