Inter Miami's Unbeaten Run Ended by Montreal on Lionel Messi's Day Off

Inter Miami lost for the first time this season by falling to a 3-2 home defeat by Montreal on Sunday night. Lionel Messi was not involved. Messi was rested.

Inter Miami lost for the first time this season by falling to a 3-2 home defeat by Montreal on Sunday night.

Fernando Alvarez, Matias Coccaro and Sunusi Ibrahim got the goals for Montreal. Leonardo Campana and Jordi Alba scored for Miami.

Lionel Messi did not feature in Sunday's game. Messi was rested amid a hectic schedule and having taken a knock during Miami's 2-2 draw at Nashville three days earlier.

Fellow former Barcelona stars Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets both started on the bench before being subbed on in the second half.

Players from Montreal pictured celebrating a goal during Sunday's 3-2 win at Inter Miami / Apple TV

Montreal took the lead in the 13th minute when Alvarez headed home from a corner kick.

That corner had been conceded by some superb defending from Serhiy Kryvtsov, who thwarted Coccaro after the Montreal striker had looked poised to score following an error by keeper Drake Callender.

Alba had a goal disallowed for a tight offside call midway through the first half. Robert Taylor then struck the crossbar just before the interval.

Miami's equalizer eventually arrived in the 71st minute when Campana got his head on a deep cross from Lawson Sunderland.

But another headed strike quickly restored the away team's lead as Coccaro scored his first goal for Montreal by nodding home from a Mathieu Choiniere free-kick.

It was 3-1 by the 78th minute thanks to a deflected effort from Ibrahim, who was teed up by former Miami man Josef Martinez.

Alba scored the goal of the game two minutes later with a sweet first-time finish from 20 yards.

Suarez clipped the crossbar late on but Montreal held on to record a rare away victory.

Miami's next game will be on Wednesday night when they host Nashville in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 tie.

Highlights: Inter Miami 2-3 Montreal